Well today I find myself somewhat melancholy because it's that time of year here in St. Albert, that we start to dump all the flower pots, cut down the flower beds and get everything ready for winter. I must admit I don't like Fall/Autumn, to me everything is dying, the orange, red, and burgundy leaves don't intrigue me, they are simply a reminder of what is yet to come...winter. Snow, winds, learning to drive on ice again, trying to be patient with the drivers around me who think it's still summer.
Sometimes I wonder why I live here, but then with the first snow fall, I'm quickly reminded. There is nothing more beautiful than a landscape freshly dusted in white, making the nights sparkle, I love the fragrance of the crisp air as it wafts around my nose in the wee morning hours and I love watching my breath pass my lips to dance with the breeze, the days will grow shorter and we will all reconnect warming by the fire. Besides it won't be too long before the buds of the trees and flowers, that lay cold under the snow, will be reborn again, our grass will turn green and stay that way as the sun shines for eighteen hours -- yes you heard me correctly, eighteen hours of daylight for us here in the summer -- that's when all our igloos melt. We northern types may not like all of the seasons -- but we wouldn't have it any other way.
Have a great day.
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Yielding to a Writer
There is probably only one thing that every writer has in common and that is, we find ourselves, quite often, torn between everyday life, family, events, etc. and our writing.
As you know, every writer has a different approach. Some can set a chapter goal for each day and write it. Some won't go on to the next paragraph until the one their working on is perfect and no edits will be required. Then there's me, who has no set time, nor strategy to get it done, because I write when I hear voices (the good voices).
I bring this up because it's not only me that struggles with it, my family does as well, except they're on the other side. They now know when I nod and smile, it's simply to appease them, me not really there at all. Just last night my youngest daughter was asking me questions and I heard them, then answered -- she promptly came and kissed me on the cheek. Now if you were to ask me what it was that we said, answering honestly, the only thing I can remember out of it all, is when she kissed me (and I'm not certain she did that either) she giggled and said "You're so in the zone, aren't you?" I remember nodding.
My family yields to me regardless of how I write, if they didn't, I wouldn't be as successful as I am -- they are, by far, my biggest successes and they believe in me -- a writer couldn't ask for more than that.
Have a great day.
http://www.celizabeth.ca/
As you know, every writer has a different approach. Some can set a chapter goal for each day and write it. Some won't go on to the next paragraph until the one their working on is perfect and no edits will be required. Then there's me, who has no set time, nor strategy to get it done, because I write when I hear voices (the good voices).
I bring this up because it's not only me that struggles with it, my family does as well, except they're on the other side. They now know when I nod and smile, it's simply to appease them, me not really there at all. Just last night my youngest daughter was asking me questions and I heard them, then answered -- she promptly came and kissed me on the cheek. Now if you were to ask me what it was that we said, answering honestly, the only thing I can remember out of it all, is when she kissed me (and I'm not certain she did that either) she giggled and said "You're so in the zone, aren't you?" I remember nodding.
My family yields to me regardless of how I write, if they didn't, I wouldn't be as successful as I am -- they are, by far, my biggest successes and they believe in me -- a writer couldn't ask for more than that.
Have a great day.
http://www.celizabeth.ca/
Monday, 26 September 2011
Another Lesson Learned
This weekend felt like nothing got accomplished, though I did get a lot done, it somehow feels like I didn't and I know exactly why -- not one paragraph was written and it's driving me crazy (yes a little more crazy than my usual).
The book signing on Saturday seemed, at first, not to go very well, having only sold one copy but something else happened that by rights I should have understood a long time ago and didn't, gaging the success of Absolute's signings by how many paperbacks I sold on the spot. You see, prior to Saturday, I never gave much thought to how many bookmarks and business cards I had given away at those events and what effect they had on the sales, until someone asked me if my book was online and my response, of course, was yes. It was then that I realized how silly it was for me to think of only the paperbacks sold at those events, when in reality the amount of books sold is almost impossible to decipher, because Rose and Michael will be coming to life in the minds of those who read from ereaders. It was a lesson that made me smile.
Have a great day.
C. Elizabeth
The book signing on Saturday seemed, at first, not to go very well, having only sold one copy but something else happened that by rights I should have understood a long time ago and didn't, gaging the success of Absolute's signings by how many paperbacks I sold on the spot. You see, prior to Saturday, I never gave much thought to how many bookmarks and business cards I had given away at those events and what effect they had on the sales, until someone asked me if my book was online and my response, of course, was yes. It was then that I realized how silly it was for me to think of only the paperbacks sold at those events, when in reality the amount of books sold is almost impossible to decipher, because Rose and Michael will be coming to life in the minds of those who read from ereaders. It was a lesson that made me smile.
Have a great day.
C. Elizabeth
Friday, 23 September 2011
Who Do You See?
First of all just a reminder that I will be having a book signing on Saturday, September 24, 2011, at Chapters Book Store, West Edmonton Mall from noon till 4:00 p.m..
The other day I was asked who I saw playing Michael if Absolute became a movie. Honestly, I didn't know, but it was during that conversation that it occurred to me just how explicit my mind pictures what all my characters look like. I don't know why, but I never gave much thought about how other people would see them, I guess I simply assumed they saw them exactly how I did -- how silly am I? It was interesting... One of the ladies said that while reading Absolute, she envisioned Robert Pattinson as Michael (I choked, Michael doesn't look anything like him), another said that it wasn't a movie star she envisioned, it was someone that she built from scratch.
Who do you see Michael as? For me, Michael will always have a wisp of jet black bangs softly laying on his forehead with his perfect smile and body, Rose will always have long brown hair that she has to straightened with her beautiful green eyes and petite frame. They will never change, they are forever in my mind as my Michael and my Rose.
Have a great day and weekend.
The other day I was asked who I saw playing Michael if Absolute became a movie. Honestly, I didn't know, but it was during that conversation that it occurred to me just how explicit my mind pictures what all my characters look like. I don't know why, but I never gave much thought about how other people would see them, I guess I simply assumed they saw them exactly how I did -- how silly am I? It was interesting... One of the ladies said that while reading Absolute, she envisioned Robert Pattinson as Michael (I choked, Michael doesn't look anything like him), another said that it wasn't a movie star she envisioned, it was someone that she built from scratch.
Who do you see Michael as? For me, Michael will always have a wisp of jet black bangs softly laying on his forehead with his perfect smile and body, Rose will always have long brown hair that she has to straightened with her beautiful green eyes and petite frame. They will never change, they are forever in my mind as my Michael and my Rose.
Have a great day and weekend.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
The Battle
The past few or more weeks has been a battle of wits. Real life has taken up most of my attention and it's been difficult only being able to write little bits and pieces here and there, not fully focusing on it.
The reason I'm whining about it, is because I have a fear that I'll forget where I left off, or even worse Michael, Rose and the gang won't come back to me. This has never happened, but it's still a legitimate fear.
Writing their story isn't a chore, actually it's quite the opposite, it's my place to escape the everyday life. So when I'm unable to get to it for long stretches, I miss it, I miss being in their world and listening to them yatter on and on, making me laugh, making me angry, and so on. The last couple of days have been especially hard, they've played very heavy on my mind and unfortunately, it looks like it will be another few days before I can sit down and pay full attention to them -- I can't wait.
Have a great day.
The reason I'm whining about it, is because I have a fear that I'll forget where I left off, or even worse Michael, Rose and the gang won't come back to me. This has never happened, but it's still a legitimate fear.
Writing their story isn't a chore, actually it's quite the opposite, it's my place to escape the everyday life. So when I'm unable to get to it for long stretches, I miss it, I miss being in their world and listening to them yatter on and on, making me laugh, making me angry, and so on. The last couple of days have been especially hard, they've played very heavy on my mind and unfortunately, it looks like it will be another few days before I can sit down and pay full attention to them -- I can't wait.
Have a great day.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
What's in it for Me?
When I found out that Absolute was going to be published it was a feeling that one can't describe (I know! Me saying something can't be described). Well, in all fairness, I probably could, but it would end up being a two part mini-series blog.
As time went on, more and more people would ask if I knew how many sales I had made. Of course there was no way of knowing until I got that first quarterly report. But what struck me, was some would mention the royalties and how my getting published probably wouldn't completely sink in, until I saw that first cheque -- not so much. Honestly, when the first quarterly report came in, I don't even think I read the whole thing. Actually I remember looking at the numbers, not the dollar figures, but how many minds Michael and Rose were coming to life in.
The thought of the royalties never once entered my mind until someone mentioned it to me, after the fact and I thought "hmm, that's a bonus." How do you put a monetary amount on something that is a piece of you, of who you are? I don't gage my success on how big my bank account gets, for me, I'm already successful. I've been given a gift and have found the passion for it, something that makes me happy every time I sit at the computer and whip out my thesaurus, besides if anything were to gage my success in writing -- it would be you, my readers.
Have a great day.
As time went on, more and more people would ask if I knew how many sales I had made. Of course there was no way of knowing until I got that first quarterly report. But what struck me, was some would mention the royalties and how my getting published probably wouldn't completely sink in, until I saw that first cheque -- not so much. Honestly, when the first quarterly report came in, I don't even think I read the whole thing. Actually I remember looking at the numbers, not the dollar figures, but how many minds Michael and Rose were coming to life in.
The thought of the royalties never once entered my mind until someone mentioned it to me, after the fact and I thought "hmm, that's a bonus." How do you put a monetary amount on something that is a piece of you, of who you are? I don't gage my success on how big my bank account gets, for me, I'm already successful. I've been given a gift and have found the passion for it, something that makes me happy every time I sit at the computer and whip out my thesaurus, besides if anything were to gage my success in writing -- it would be you, my readers.
Have a great day.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Writing a Picture: A Writer Reflects on the Art
Article first published as Writing a Picture: A Writer Reflects on the Art on Blogcritics.
A painter tells their story on a canvas, actors tell theirs on a stage, both of which, as with many others, induce different emotions depending on the audience.
When a story presents itself in the mind of a writer, all five senses engage so as to be in tune with the characters and their world. Colors come to life, so do the bumble bees as they dance on the head of a flower, a quiet spoken word from a passerby will whisper on the breeze, the grass will tickle between our toes with each step we take, and the bitter sweet taste of red wine will flow over our tongues.
We also feel the fear walking through the dark alley as someone follows, we feel the pain of a lover’s loss and the elation of a lover found – we as writers embark on a journey that is just as uncertain for us, as it will be for you when you turn the pages.
However, a writer doesn’t get the use of taste, touch, smell, visual or verbal to arouse those emotions in you. How do we show you what is embedded in our mind so as to bring you along with us on every twist and turn? How do we make you cry, laugh, giggle, hurt, love, lust, be afraid, when using those other senses is an impossibility to persuade you to follow?
Taking you on our journey is not an easy task. It all has to be presented in such a way that you feel as we feel, see what we see, including all the little details that explode on the scene to make it real… The beat of the heart as it pulses against our heroine’s ribs, the taste of salt in a tear as it slides down the hero’s face, as well as the ache that, at first, is a slow burn, only to explode into every crevasse of his body. However, when it comes to scenery, we can’t go on and on with so much detail that it becomes boring, leaving nothing to the imagination.
We’ve all seen pictures of famous paintings, people, and the like, none of which really trigger grandiose excitement. However, to stand in front of the original is a whole different story.
That’s one of the wonderful things about being a writer, we don’t depend on the five senses to spark self-indulgence, we have a fairly simple tool that is powerful enough to stimulate not only those senses, but every emotion there is under the sun – it’s called words. They bring our characters and their world to life in your mind, igniting the imagination.
Our words have the same effect whether they’re read on computer, Kindle or novel. They pack the same punch wherever they are, however they are read and you, the reader…always have an original in hand.
Have a great day.
A painter tells their story on a canvas, actors tell theirs on a stage, both of which, as with many others, induce different emotions depending on the audience.
When a story presents itself in the mind of a writer, all five senses engage so as to be in tune with the characters and their world. Colors come to life, so do the bumble bees as they dance on the head of a flower, a quiet spoken word from a passerby will whisper on the breeze, the grass will tickle between our toes with each step we take, and the bitter sweet taste of red wine will flow over our tongues.
We also feel the fear walking through the dark alley as someone follows, we feel the pain of a lover’s loss and the elation of a lover found – we as writers embark on a journey that is just as uncertain for us, as it will be for you when you turn the pages.
However, a writer doesn’t get the use of taste, touch, smell, visual or verbal to arouse those emotions in you. How do we show you what is embedded in our mind so as to bring you along with us on every twist and turn? How do we make you cry, laugh, giggle, hurt, love, lust, be afraid, when using those other senses is an impossibility to persuade you to follow?
Taking you on our journey is not an easy task. It all has to be presented in such a way that you feel as we feel, see what we see, including all the little details that explode on the scene to make it real… The beat of the heart as it pulses against our heroine’s ribs, the taste of salt in a tear as it slides down the hero’s face, as well as the ache that, at first, is a slow burn, only to explode into every crevasse of his body. However, when it comes to scenery, we can’t go on and on with so much detail that it becomes boring, leaving nothing to the imagination.
We’ve all seen pictures of famous paintings, people, and the like, none of which really trigger grandiose excitement. However, to stand in front of the original is a whole different story.
That’s one of the wonderful things about being a writer, we don’t depend on the five senses to spark self-indulgence, we have a fairly simple tool that is powerful enough to stimulate not only those senses, but every emotion there is under the sun – it’s called words. They bring our characters and their world to life in your mind, igniting the imagination.
Our words have the same effect whether they’re read on computer, Kindle or novel. They pack the same punch wherever they are, however they are read and you, the reader…always have an original in hand.
Have a great day.
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