When the Writer Gets Hot...

...the hot get out the Super Soakers, a favorite activity in my fam for those aged 5-65. There's something extremely cool and definitely therapeutic about firing swirling streams of water at your spouse while they do the same back. A marital win-win in my mind. And, of course, there's the 'family-sized' kiddie pool to enjoy, complete with schools of plastic fish and a genuine Toy Story floating chair that even holds a water-loving grandmother. Having kids around gives grown-ups automatic permission to play. And they'll give you a refresher course if you've forgotten how to have fun. Maybe kids should teach a motivational class for writers who have somehow forgotten the joy of making up a story.

Have you ever found yourself bogged-down in the logistics of writing? Of course, story structure is important, good grammar a must, authentic characters must be fleshed-out and resonate. And submissions must be form and letter perfect, marketable, and sparkling as we shop ourselves and our work to editors and agents, hoping to someday be able to proclaim, "She likes me! She really, really likes me!"

It's true: The logistics can't be avoided. But today, I've made a play-date with my words. I'm going to write until I get my child-like joy back.

Creativity and Hope in the Air

Celebrating Victoria Hanley and her Wild Ink book release with other writers and friends last night filled me with inspiration and hope, making me sure it's not too late for my dreams to come true.

The many accomplished authors in the room, such as Victoria, Amy Kathleen Ryan and Laura Resau, were once where I am now: working extremely hard to learn and do all the things that make the writing right, hoping and hoping an agent will love my work, not just like it one day.

Congratulations Victoria. And thank you for writing your book and sharing your wisdom and experience with those of us on the road to Someday Success.

Thin Places

A thin place is said to be a location where there is but a veil between Heaven and earth, making them close enough to one another to touch. There are many thin places in the world where people can feel this. Being in Ireland last year confirmed this for me with the feeling of complete connection to all that is.

I took the picture on my home page while visiting my cousin on Cape Cod last September. The low pixel camera in my phone created a muted, old photo effect: I was there then, and then could have been a time now or one before. Thin, indeed.

Choose to spend time in places that convey this connection for you, and write all your feelings down.

Getting Lost in Your Story

Writers call it many things: finding your muse, getting in your zone or trance, stepping into the plot...
However you see it or feel it, you are transported to another place that's of your own creation to spend time with people you are getting to know as they reveal themselves to you. Stephen King calls it magic, and who can disagree with the master of fiction?

When I'm there, inside the story, with my characters, I find my job is to write it all down as I share the adventure. Later, the work begins of getting it all in order.

Don't be afraid to get lost in your story. Float along as the story flows. And enjoy the magic of the process.

Free Mind, Creative Mind

As you can imagine, a recent snow storm and a tree branch shooting through my roof and bedroom ceiling flattened my muse wafer thin. Today the sun is warm and shiny. All over town people are clearing roofs, sawing, grinding, or piling up enough fallen branches to build a complete forest. Good times.

My muse has recovered herself nicely, as always. Somehow, my life takes a hit; her life takes a hit. The mother and daughter in my young adult novel in progress are in big, big trouble. Stress has chipped away at mother, leaving daughter in charge at 17. Sheesh. Better get on that right away.

When I say free mind, creative mind, I don't mean free from trouble. While a bad life event can cause enough stress to paralyze ones mind, it's only temporary. Once the crisis has eased, what you have left is a bad thing that happened. The mind hasn't let go of the event, it has just stored it.

So, when you write a novel, you need to create trouble for your characters again and again until they have to do something or change something to survive. That's when your mind is free to refer to its file of bad things that happen to people. I don't know about you, but I'll be able to refer to my bad things file for the rest of my life.

Changes in the Air, Ideas Everywhere

We're about to go from a beautiful autumn to a preview of the winter ahead of us. I don't know how to prepare for it other than slip into a snug, cozy focus.  For me that means candles, a mug of something hot, fleecy clothing, and a good book to get lost in. And, of course, writing.

I love my home office: comfy and cozy, tools of my writing trade within reach, a pleasant place of music, candlelight, and creative energy.

Today, I'll write. The words await.

Speaking of soul...

Do you believe we have some sort of soul, some sort of life essence? When I think of my soul, I include all the ingredients that add up to being me: my life experience, my DNA, my memories, my feelings.. And I can't help including anyone I've ever been, the people in my life from whom I've learned  what I know so far, the decisions I've made- right or wrong.

So, when I say that I write 'soul to page,' I mean my ideas come from somewhere deep within me and who I am. And, though I feel I have no choice but to put story to page, I happily share myself and my words with young people of any age.