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My Journey as
a Writer

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Scaling the Writing Mountain

7/31/2016

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Every time I hit on a new idea for a project, albeit a book or an article, the task of actually writing it seems mountainous. Sure, I think the idea is solid, and worth exploring. I may even know what the peak, or climax, looks like, but somehow the climb eludes me. Now let's face it, I am not one to climb mountains. In fact, in real life the only way I would even get to the top of one is if they had an escalator! So how do I scale that writing mountain? I can assure you that it is not one you'll find in a book--or is it?

I am a visual/auditory/tactile writer. I know. I know. The professionals have classified learners in one of those three types. However, I am talking about the learner/writer--me! When I have an idea for an article or a book, my mind automatically visualizes the subject. You might even call it a day dream--or sometimes it's actually a night dream. My mind wanders through the possibilities until I think I have a clear 8X10 color picture of what I want to translate into words. However, I need more. This is where the visual factor comes in. I search through the internet, magazines, newspapers, and even books for a physical representation of that picture in my head. In Search for the Red Ghost, it was a historical photo of a bactrian camel tied to a hitching post. Next, I needed to find the voice, the style of speech, the personality, and even the motivation, for my protagonist, Jake. 

I am not a silent, sit in a quiet room, no one speak to me writer. Nope, I need sound when I write. I was the same way as a kid. Homework was easy as long as the radio was playing in the background. Turn it off, though, and my mind wandered on everything but my homework. It's the same now. When I write, talk radio, a Hawaiian music CD , or even the the television is on. The sound keeps my mind focused. So when I look for a voice for a new character, I need to actually hear it so I can create it in my mind. Now I am not just looking for syntax.  No, I am actually listening for the personality of the speaker. For instance, I listen to a tremendous amount of documentaries. When I hear one narrated by Morgan Freeman, I get a different sense of meaning than if I hear one narrated by John Hurt. Freeman makes me believe everything he says is true. It's like hearing God speak to you--reverent. Hurt makes me believe he's just discovered a black hole in space that no one has ever seen before. It's the WOW! moment. For me, I need to hear that voice in my head. In Search for the Red Ghost, the Jake's voice--syntax, personality, style, and motivation--all came from a conversation about hunting my husband was having with my brother. it hit me that Jake was my brother at 13. I had the voice, and I had years of conversations to bring Jake to life.

The tactile part comes when I develop my outline, but that requires research too. To get myself on tract, I read then analyze books in the genre I am writing in. I take note of the number of chapters, the word count, where the subplots fit in, where the climax starts, and how the plotting was developed. Then I begin by writing one sentence for each event or character or time of day on a 3X5 card. Sometimes this is a snippet of imagined conversation. Sometimes, it's a description of the setting. And, sometimes it's an obstacle my protagonist will face. I may have as few as ten cards or as many as 200. Whatever the amount, when I think I have enough to outline my story, I lay them out on the dining room table and divide them into chapters. Not all of them make it. Some are set aside as maybes while others are justifiably thrown away. Finally, I write my preliminary outline.

I know the way I scale the writing mountain is not for everyone, but so far it is working for me. It also helps me keep my projects separate since I tend to work on several at one time. Yes, it requires a lot of effort to make it up that mountain, and I have never heard of a writer who sloughed off an took some imaginary escalator. But the reward of seeing someone reading one of my books is worth whatever creative process my writing requires. Theodore Roosevelt said it best, "Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort."  






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Lighting a Writing Fire!

7/21/2016

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You would think that someone with a file cabinet of ideas scrawled across scraps of paper, outlined in spiral notebooks, scribbled on the back of old envelopes, and even scratched onto a piece of driftwood would never have trouble writing. However, if that's what you thought, you would be WRONG! Oh, sure there are days when I feel like a long distance runner and my computer begs me to stop pounding on the keys. But there are also days that it screams at me from its perch on my desk to get busy and write. Those are the days that I need someone or something to set my writing shoes on fire. Unfortunately, finding that someone or something is not as easy as it might seem, and I have five half-written novels to prove it.

Now, I am not talking about procrastination although it might sound like it. After all, at first glance it does seem that I am putting off my writing. But, the need to light a fire under my writing goes a little deeper than just telling myself, "Mañana." Instead, it's a feeling of numbness that settles in like a dark cloud just before a storm. It's the day, or days, that I find I am unable to empathize with my character, my plot, or even my story. I just can't connect. When that happens a whole realm of self-doubt sets in, and I tell myself,  "No one is going to want to read this story anyway, so why write." I know, I know. This sounds like depression--and it might just be some form of depression at that. However, as a writer, I needed to find a way to blow that numbness cloud out of my head and light a fire to my writing. So, I began looking for ways to regain the burning desire to write that has been smoldering inside me for decades. Here are three things that worked for me. 
  • Make writing friends. Writers understand the anxieties and frustrations that come with the solitude of a writer. Reaching out to each other ends that solitude and opens the door to encouragement. I joined a group last fall. We each set mini-goals that we agree to accomplish each day. Mine is just to write a minimum of three sentences each day--and believe me there are days that I barely made this goal before midnight. But it's not just checking in with my completed goal every day that has been the biggest reward. Instead, it's the sharing of our lives as we try to work on our writing passion. I've learned that I am not alone when that numbness cloud engulfs me. Other writers battle it as well. We share ideas on how to chase it away, and we share in each other's success and are ready with the virtual chocolate when success is one step forward and three steps backward.
  • Change direction. Instead of facing that screaming computer or even the blank sheet of paper, pick up your camera and make it a photo day, or a walk in the park day, or a volunteer day. Changing direction helps clear your mind. It removes the roadblock that keeps you from writing, and gives you a fresh perspective. I've found that looking through the lens of a camera is exciting. This is especially true when I'm trying to capture that little brown squirrel who keeps eating our dog's food. It's become quite the scavenger hunt--literally.
  • Read a book or watch a movie. Nothing seems to blow my emotional numbness out of my head like a good book or an emotionally packed movie. Two weeks ago, I spent three days in that numb cloud. I ignored my computer's constant screaming. I ignored an approaching deadline for a non-fiction article I agreed to write. I ignored my email, my Twitter, and even my Facebook page--OH MY! Then I picked up a book written by a friend--Into the Fire, by Kelly Hashway. I'd read it before, but she revamped it. I had the whole trilogy sitting on my bookshelf, but was so busy I had forgotten about it. My goal was just to read the first chapter to see if anything had really changed since the rewrite. Four hours later, I was starting on book two. By the end of day three, I'd finished the trilogy totally in love with the main character, Cara, and anxious to write a new scene for the novel I am working on. My writing fire was ignited!

These are simple ideas, and they might not light everyone's writing fire, but they work for me. If you have other ways to beat those emotionally numb days when writing is the last thing on your mind, please feel free to share them. After all, there are thousands of stories that are waiting to be told, so light that writing fire. I want to read them.

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Texting may be a part of life, but can it inspire a story?

7/10/2016

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Texting has become a big part of life for almost all American kids. They send texts to their friends, to their enemies, to their teachers, and to to their parents. It's fast. It's easy. It's a basic form of communication. And, the act of texting itself has even become a main component of young adult books, but is it story material? In a word, YES! 

Now I'm not talking about the art of texting, although there is probably a book on that topic already. I'm talking about the substance of texts and how they are perceived. For instance, one person can send a text that simply states, "Love u." However, depending on what has transpired between the sender and the receiver, that simple message can become extremely complicated. How? Well think about it. Was it sent as an apology, an after-thought, a word of encouragement, a declaration of love, or was it a sarcastic remark? Any one of these reasons can be built into a story. The apology could be the beginning of a flashback, or even the basis of a plot conflict. Maybe it was sent to the wrong person--Oh,oh! See how the plot can develop from a simple apology? What about the declaration of love? Perhaps, it came from a stalker or an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend. You could develop it into a mystery, a love triangle, a romantic comedy, or a reality story. Before you know it, you have a whole book built around a single text. Inspiring, isn't it?

So, if you write for kids like I do, and the inspiration well is a little dry, you might try asking to read a few text messages sent by your kids. Just make sure you let them know it is for creative reasons alone, not to judge or comment. You might be surprised what you find that will get those creative juices flowing. If you don't have access to texts from young people, then try scrolling through twitter. Stories are brewing there every minute of the every day. Texting is definitely another avenue to spark the imagination of a writer.




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    Photo bySamuel Ferrara on Unsplash

    Sherry Alexander

    Dreamer, believer, reader, writer

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