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.

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.

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 Younger Generation

In past blogs I have shared with you how my writing had inspired a few younger writers, which of course pleases me beyond belief and have wanted to take that to the next level. I had thought about how to approach it, such that, should I hold my own workshop (that would not be a pretty sight), maybe do something with the St. Albert Public Library (who by the way does have a copy of Absolute Obsession for your reading pleasure) or...well I didn't know.

However, I have set some wheels in motion. I've contacted both school boards in St. Albert and Edmonton and am on the path, fingers crossed, of perhaps encouraging some young minds to listen to their inner self.  This I am extremely excited about, because even if one finds that passion or maybe one discovers a dream they never knew they had, then me being a writer is exactly where I am supposed to be -- regardless of how I got here.

Have a great day and weekend.

What Simply comes to Mind

Yesterday I was struggling to find a quote to go at the beginning of a chapter.  The words had to be just right and I knew what I wanted it to say, or at least what the spirit of it was to be. However, nothing seemed to fit.

For me, quotes hold hidden meanings, a small treasure if you will. Now that hidden meaning will be something completely different for everyone. But don't you think that by finding that meaning, whatever it may be, finds the spirit in which those quotes are written and perhaps a glimpse into the writer's psyche.

My dilemma was such, that I wasn't able to find a quote with the proper hidden message, that would make you go "hmm, interesting" and eventually gave up to write my own.
A dream you once were, a dream of all my realities.
A dream that I can no longer strive for
In the wake of my manly betrayals

It's got ya thinkin, don't it?

Have a great day.

Where Does It Come From?

Inspiration.  I've touched on this before but never really delved into it. It's been asked of me on numerous occasions where my inspiration comes from and for the most part I don't have an answer.  There isn't one specific thing that inspires me, it's a world of little things. Such as, maybe a corny commercial or something someone says, it can be anything, anywhere. All I know is that whenever it happens, it makes what I write worthwhile. If it can happen to me with such little things, then it can happen to you too with whatever endeavour you may embark on.

It gives new meaning to the phrase "It's the little things in life that count."

Have a great day

Can Love Conquer All?

This is the question that I am asking right now. I find myself at a crossroads and this question keeps popping up.  Somehow I'm struggling with what Michael and Rose are telling me and the real world. For some strange reason it's got me over thinking it and has me perplexed.

We all know that there are some pretty wild stories of love out there, some that could be considered farfetched, but real nonetheless. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is if what Michael and Rose are telling me could happen in real life, even if it is way out there, in essence, questioning their realism.

Now in questioning the validity of such a notion, I have left Rose sitting on one end of the stage, Michael on the other, both tapping their foot on the ground waiting for me to give the cue for them to run into each other's arms and kiss.

Now this whole scenario propagatesa few other questions.  Who do I think I am? Where exactly do I fit in this situation? Whose story is it?

All right, fine! As the author I lose.  Go on, get it over with, kiss already!

Question answered.

Have a great day.
http://www.celizabeth.ca/