“Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind.” Rudyard Kipling
What a wonderful quote! Both as a reader and a writer words pull us into the book and take us away on adventures. As a writer, finding the right word is a rewarding search, setting a scene to involve your reader and creating a believable, interesting character is playing with the power of words.
I am a book lover and miss the flipping of pages, but I have become a fan of my Kindle.
I am an ADD reader; I cannot focus on one book for long. I drift from one book to another; often, shifting from fiction to nonfiction and back. I usually am in the middle of two or three books. The Kindle makes it easy.
The Kindle has saved my back. I no longer cart three or four books everywhere I go. When travelling for trips longer than an hour; I would take four or five books,on vacation, 20-30. Now I take one.
I am prepared in the doctor’s office, while waiting for my son, waiting in line. I am much more patient; I can read. I can hold the Kindle anywhere.
I can even workout while listening to my Kindle. I am likely to last longer on the Arc Trainer when I am lost in the story than I am just surging ahead mindlessly. Not doing anything while I do a cardiac workout doesn’t work. Okay, I do write scenes for my next book in my head while I am working out…… But watching TV or even listening to songs does not hold my attention long enough. Listening to a good story does and I last longer.
You do lose some things using a Kindle. I am a fast reader and I cannot devour pages with the same speed on my Kindle. It is tougher to go back and find a page you want to reread if you haven’t bookmarked it. I am a “writer” as I read. I write notes, comments, and reflections as I read. Although Kindle does provide a method to do that, it is not a quick nor as easy as jotting in the margins.
Although I can’t “curl up” with a Kindle the way you can with a book, you can find a comfortable spot and get lost in a story. A good story will take you away whether it is a book with pages or a Kindle with text. Happy reading
“Looking back, I imagine I was always writing. Twaddle it was too. But far better to write twaddle or anything, anything than nothing at all.” Katherine Mansfield
A-h-h great answer for writer’s block or to stumble through a middle section of you book. Write past the block. Write anything. Keep that pen moving and that creative thought flowing. Maybe only one word in 500 is worth it, but that one word is gold.
Writers have that critical need to write; we cannot “not write” down ideas—even if sometimes it is twaddle.
THE NEWS again came in an email. This time, I was sitting in a restaurant in awaitng lunch and checked email on my Blackberry. Where we are in Maine, my Blackberry is my only access to Internet. I had to read it three times before the news sunk in. I am currently vacationing with husband and two close friends. I choked up could barely get words out to tell others. –didn’t eat much lunch.
Describing that emotion to others is tough. Yeah, my initial reaction was “hot damn, I did it.” That doesn’t last. For the rest of the day, wan smile of satisfaction crossed my lips often—all that hard work and others will read it. All that hard work is “not for nothing.” But it is hard work.
The initial creation- that surge of the idea- is exhilaration. The characters develop at the touch of keys, the plot moves and ideas flow. On a day when the words come quickly and I spend time with my alternate creation and my characters, I am in a euphoric mood for the rest of the day.
That creative flow has bumps and starts. Some days nothing seems to go together: finding a way to say what you need to expand your idea—is just a labor. Then the hard work—writing the transitions, making sure the scenes flow gently into each other. Then the very hard work, the edits: matching details , checking word usage , finding the best word. Then the frustration and the doubts. Did you really write that awful sentence? Is that grammatically correct? Does that sound right? Will readers pick up that subtlety? . For me, that is the boring part. It is put your nose to the grindstone and just do it. I really have to glue myself to my chair those days.
Sometimes in the re-reads where you read passages you wrote and say—wow, that’s really good. I wrote that, huh and I like this book.
Then there is the wait—it’s good. Will the editors like it? What will they say?
And then the word—yeah, it’s a sale. That’s the verification. I’m a writer—it’s an integral part of who I am. Then you celebrate. For me, it was a bottle of champagne with friends and my husband.
When I returned home, it was a quiet moment in my office celebrating a new phase as a writer and thanking God for the blessing of joy of writing.
And now I celebrate here–I did it. Second book sold to Lyrical Press, Inc. !!!! Hurrah! I will keep you posted as I work with Lyrical and explore the digital world.
I have ignored blogs and all my writing while my hand healed. I started the summer with a cast from the tips of m fingers to middle of my arm. I then progressed to a shorter cast, but still had little use of thumb and fingers. Ah-h—summer time and no writing, no kayaking and no gardening!!!!
I have had a million ideas—isn’t that the way the mind works? Ideas for novels, articles and blogs over flow, I will probably post blogs 3-4 at one time….when I can.
The good thing is I have learned to type with my left hand—which is what I am using now. I also have been forced to abandon my reliance on my pen. I type grocery lists one-handed and my long trail of daily reminders is now on the computer. That’s good. I would often resort to writing my novel long hand and then typing it. Although the typing became the first edit, creating that way was time-consuming.
I have hated having a cast and being one-handed—slows me down too much for all tasks. BUT when I am finished with all of this my thumb will bend; my fingers will be more flexible and I will be able to type faster, hold my coffee mug, and of course, kayak and garden again. And I need is patience….sigh, I have little of that.
For my column, Booknotes in Heartline Herald, I reviewed Stephen King’s On Writing—a book which both influenced/motivated me both as a teacher and as a writer. As a creative writing teacher, I presented aspiring students with copies and I read aloud sections aloud.
Did I always like On Writing because I agreed with and already followed the advice in the book or do I owe King more credit for influencing my writer’s life?
My favorite line is. “the road to hell is paved with adverbs.” It one of my pet peeves, my writing teacher mantra was ”active verbs, concrete nouns.”
Like Stephen King, I either have my nose buried in books or on my computer. I read in lines, in cars. And especially in doctors’ waiting rooms. I used to carry a large bag with 5-10 books now I carry a Kindle with 2,500 books. Does Stephen King now own a Kindle or Nook? A voracious reader he comments,“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.” He insists writers must read and write—two of my favorite things to do.
I have my nose buried in a book and am transported to somewhere else. Reading inspires, instructs, entertains reading anything—literary, weak stories, newspapers, magazines –is all word play—learning the power of words. I love getting lost in a book and I want others to get lost in mine.
King gives permission “do all the reading and writing your little heart desires, however, consider it hereby granted by your truly” What a gift! However I must admit it was when I gave myself permission to write without feeling like I SHOULD be doing something for the family that I took myself seriously as a writer —and then my first book was published.
My stories are character driven. Story flashes start a character’s problem and branch out. I don’t outline, but let the story evolve. I do it that way because that’s the way I create and I would lose interest if I thought out all the actions. The character’s set up my books. Stephen King describes his process as “…my basic belief about making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to give them a place to grow….”If you can see things this way (or at least try to), we can work together comfortably. If, on the other hand, you decide I’m crazy, that’s fine. You won’t be the first.” No, not crazy; we could work comfortably. My basic belief is an idea usually a situation interrupts your life. You toy with expansion of that and characters who fit that situation and the story takes off and you hold on for the ride.
Did I always write that way or did reading On Writing in 19??/ influence my story development?
This month I also chose a King book for my reading group; we read and discussed Bag of Bones. My husband is listening to the audio version—read by Stephen himself. His voice, scenes from the novel haunts me—but ghosts don’t haunt my dreams. Bag of Bones is a writer’s novel—the protagonist is a writer and much of his reflections are about his writing and writer’s block. In the novel, Mike Noonan the protagonist, comments, “A writer is a man who has taught his mind to misbehave.” Well, writers, interesting comment—one we can all identify. I like misbehaving and like King (and multiple of other writers) I love what I do.
I am not a horror novel fan. As a child, Twilight Zone gave me nightmares for months; I cannot tackle most of King’s novels. My husband has read every book. I do love On Writing and read it for inspiration often. I look for Stephen King every summer e vacation in Maine. On my “bucket list” is talking with King about writing.—-and to simply thank him for On Writing and his gift of advice I needed and used.
I love the book–it has wisdom, inspiration and best of all humor. Or maybe King has all of those.
I am back on track. I printed the manuscript and reread all scenes, all scraps of notes. I liked the characters; some scenes are really good. It’s good to be back with”friends” and good to be back in the story. I am writing again
The book ahs real potentian.—I like this story. Good to be back to writing.
Like all writers, finding regular time to write is difficult. I freelance for Demand Studios. The main reason is to pay for my bad habit—writing novels. At the moment, writing is a habit; it does not pay for itself.
Like many other writers, I have too much else to do and have been neglecting the novel I was so involved with last month.
Last month,I ate, slept, breathed the novel. Scenes from the novel, images of the characters danced in my head throughout my day. I wrote every morning.
Then I worked on columns, articles and laundry, and cleaning and rearranging rooms and so on. All those things which pull you from your schedule, your story.
In my case, I have an additional pull–it is spring. I love to garden. When it is sunny, I want to work in the garden. My writing suffers.
I too am doing the writers’ lament. These are my verse to that lament: how do I get time to write? How do I get back to a schedule? What happened to that passion?
I will get back on track. Stay tuned to blogs to how I did that.
Romance? It’s not just the hearts and flowers of Valentine’s Day. Remember when you met your love? Remember the anticipation and excitement when you saw your love? That’s romantic.
Romance is enjoying each other’s company–in oh so many ways. Romantic Notions will discuss romance—books, getaways, simple romantic acts.
Romance can be everywhere!
What about cooking a meal together? Helping side by side, touching fingers as you stir a sauce, slicing vegetables dip to hip. Put on some music, turn off the TV and gets things cooking in the kitchen!