IWSG 64: Writing Space

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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Co-hosts:

Gwen Gardner | Doreen McGettigan | Tyrean Martinson | Chemist Ken | Cathrina Constantine

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

This will be quick.

My place doesn’t have a GPS location. It’s somewhere deep inside my head. A place where I’ve lived since I was a child. the place of pretend. I see what I need to see. Hear what I hear. And the smells…

I love it there.

Although I want to visit often, it can be elusive. I can sit staring at a screen for a long time before I travel to this magical place. Sometimes I have to read what I’ve written already.

Or play some mood music or sounds to get me there.

And when I arrive… Well it’s tricky capturing what goes on around me. I can’t type fast enough. I can’t note everything in the same intensity I experience it. I may re-write the scene several times.

The point is I try to capture as much as I can.

The true test of success is when I read it again later. By later I mean months or even years. Do I go back to the moment where it all began?

What about you, is your writing space something more?

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IWSG 63: Honorable Mention from Years Ago

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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 Co-hosts:

Renee Scattergood | Sadira Stone | Jacqui Murray | Tamara Narayan |LG Keltner

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? 

When I first started my journey which was quite a while ago, I won an award. Well, a honorable mention. I know. It’s not exactly an award, but it meant a lot. It still does.

Until then writing fiction was a guilty pleasure.

I was raising a child alone, working and maintaining a home. Taking time to get a story down seemed selfish, and indulgent. So much was on my shoulders.

I needed the outlet.

I’m a loner. Not much of a social life or a support system. Over the years, I raised Bossman—my son’s online persona—just fine, downsized our home, and retired.

Writing is still with me.

My recognition  came in an email. A few words telling me I didn’t win, but have been given an honorable mention. The contest–Writers of the Future–is huge It made that moment huge. I felt pretty special and still have the award up on my wall.

After that, I had a few shorts were published, and my paranormal mystery.

Things have petered out since then.

Maybe my fifteen minutes are over. I don’t care. It doesn’t stop me from keeping my little successes up where I can glance up at them.

I keep going.

Once, someone liked what I wrote. It didn’t win. But according to a tidbit online, honorable mentions were given out when the judge kept reading. They were engaged to the end.

For a new writer that was really something.

Thanks for dropping by. Any awards or success you’d like to share. I’d love to read about them.

IWSG 62: I Add Canadian, eh.

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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CO-HOSTS:

Erika Beebe | Natalie Aguirre | Jennifer Lane | MJ Fifield, Lisa Buie-Collard | Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION: What personal traits have you written into your character(s)?

Whether I mean to or not, all my characters are Canadian, so I guess I bring my country to the table. I don’t think we are much different than anyone else, but some might not agree.

Yeah. We say, ‘eh.’

A lot.

Makes me think back to Bob and Doug McKenzie played by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas. Clip below if you wanna see… but I warn you its from the ’80s so you might want to pass. 😉

If you’re my age you might remember them.

Some other Canadians you may know:

Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Pamela Anderson, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Kim Cattrall, Tommy Chong, Michael J. Fox, Brendan Fraser, Jill Hennessy, Joshua Jackson, Eric McCormack, Howie Mandel, Mike Myers, Catherine O’Hara, Matthew Perry, Jason Priestley, Christopher Plummer, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Caroline Rhea, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Meg Tilly, Bryan Adams, k.d. lang, Avril Lavigne, Leslie Nielsen, Corey Haim, Carrie-Anne Moss.

And my most favorite—William Shatner!

Who will always be Captain Kirk of the starship Enterprise.

Canada’s birthday was on July 1st, so I guess I’m a little hyped up. Happy Independence Day (tomorrow) to all my US friends.

Can you tell I’ve been doing my best to avoid thinking about writing? No worries. I figure my mojo can’t stay away forever.

How’ve you done this month? Share some happy with me.

IWSG 61: Lost and Confused

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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Co-Hosts:

Diane Burton | Kim Lajevardi | Sylvia Ney | Sarah Foster | Jennifer Hawes | Madeline Mora-Summonte

OPTIONAL IWSG Day Question: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

I read everything, but have spent most of my writing life trying to figure out what genre I prefer to write in. Everyone that knows me knows I love mysteries. I read them and dabble in them. Sometimes it goes pretty well.

The IWSG question got me thinking about what I’ve been doing.

So far, I’ve jumped from sci-fi, fantasy—even tried magical realism—and mixing up my POV from first-person to third-person omniscient.

I hope I’m not sharing too much, but I have a huge fear of success, and change.

I thought I was rolling with it, but here’s the thing. A while back I started writing a magical realism and had a hard time pinning it down, so I returned to my middle grade. I’ve been working on it for years.

It looked good and I firmed up its middle. Left it to rest and it still needs a read through. Started a fantasy-mystery that with a non-magical detective. It’s fully outlined and I’ve written three chapters.

First chapter went really, really well.

But when put chapter two before my critters at the Grand Forks Writers Guild, it was not so good. The group is always supportive and kind. Chapter two fell flat. The emotion wasn’t there and I was left with trying to figure out how to find it.

I did in chapter one. I know it’s possible.

I feel like someone lost in a labyrinth. There’s a way out, but I just seem to go deeper.

Is the answer more knowledge? Is it facing my fear? I don’t know, but I’m back at reading how-to writing manuals to put the emotion into a scene and yeah—topping it off—I’m using omnipotent POV. Because I need a challenge or because failure is where I want to live.

I know one thing for sure: I’m lost and confused.

Anyone gone through this. What did you do?

 

IWSG 60: Sticks + Stones

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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Co-Hosts:

Lee Lowery | Juneta Key | Yvonne Ventresca | T. Powell Coltrin

“Sticks and stones break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

From: The Christian Recorder of March 1862 (according to wiki)

OPTIONAL Question:

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

I hate to admit this but I’ve never been perfect.

*snort* I KNOW! Shocker.

Sometimes I made others angry. Some of their words left scars. Deep scars I carried with me for years. Logically, the source was angry, and I knew it. I understood it. But I also believed what they said. Their words were vicious and cruel. I still think they meant them.

I’d get sad. It haunted me. Time doesn’t heal everything. Sometimes it makes it worse. I’d hear those words over and over again.

It took time, but I learned from this.

To prevent harm:

I understand feeling anger and being cruel are two different things. When I’m angry—still not perfect—I watch my mouth.

I found a solution (for me at any rate).

And to protect myself:

I remember that I’m the one that gives those words power over me. To take the power away, I must not believe them. Sure, everyone has a right to an opinion.

It doesn’t mean it’s true—period. Or that everyone agrees with them. Or that I should accept their opinion as a fact.

I refuse. I’m in control.

With that simple opinion—my opinion which is just as valid as theirs—I take the power of hurtful, thoughtless words and make them disappear.

Behind our good manners and overall respect for others, we don’t know what we do. We all have history. Nics and cuts from long ago. So does everyone else.

One small comment. A teasing joke meant as acceptance. A thought said aloud, normally harmless, can cut to the core. We can’t prevent it. We’re not psychics.

Know this. Feel this.

Be honest if you can and gentle if you can’t.

That said, each reader has a choice to suspend disbelief and dive into a story. I hope each time they do, they have a hell of a ride.

Words are power.

Please add your thoughts on how words work for you. 😉