tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86610172986929701442024-03-27T00:37:43.531-06:00Edmonton Writers' GroupOur philosophy is simple: fun and work, humour and support. We write all genres and in all styles and support each other by providing encouragement and helping each other develop thick skins in the face of industry rejections.
We understand that as writers we must do the majority of the work ourselves and we embrace this by giving honest critiques mixed with gentle grace and lots of humour.Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.comBlogger341125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-53234487948190156882024-01-04T21:33:00.005-07:002024-01-04T21:33:56.101-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNH0q5oMMeNbeNO5bq9tyoUCuFZYGciE-XEHdsF2AxjynDgZ-bjE-3xQ3spNfdaevwfRBsW8gNoTbzdDHhl_w-WkY-Gb7DD_XwzjnOTJ4yi33MKzsySXvW0vGD64F_TJwzfMOJ0cCGhZmkF8Yj1hRbTqUL5ArkCF8C9zTXrg4G4AEpQeTltC1Wd8qRn28/s607/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-01%20at%2013.37.06.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="607" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNH0q5oMMeNbeNO5bq9tyoUCuFZYGciE-XEHdsF2AxjynDgZ-bjE-3xQ3spNfdaevwfRBsW8gNoTbzdDHhl_w-WkY-Gb7DD_XwzjnOTJ4yi33MKzsySXvW0vGD64F_TJwzfMOJ0cCGhZmkF8Yj1hRbTqUL5ArkCF8C9zTXrg4G4AEpQeTltC1Wd8qRn28/w400-h201/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-01%20at%2013.37.06.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca" target="_blank">Edmonton Writers' Group</a> is pleased to announce that the writing seminars we hosted in 2023 in conjunction with the Edmonton Public Library will be continuing (with a few changes) in 2024. Please see the link above for further information.</span></i></h3><p></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-74197493882422540372023-11-09T19:32:00.000-07:002023-11-09T19:32:13.471-07:00Tropes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzmRDaXfnRWze1bnB1oacX3G610dXwvR8zI5YZgDqxVrcGf2i2Kpg4jBvesZmlhN0EHfvgqncCEHXcqEXHpB0l9KGtPHncAwtkqno3ApM4SCdvPdfT4N3BQvz9trlQm4AlV9oSiitT5k9VfFQ6Wc9PUsQZul0-0vkXzczpNDZ058w7mAlQQCxjCTNnHtm/s609/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-09%20at%2019.18.53.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="609" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzmRDaXfnRWze1bnB1oacX3G610dXwvR8zI5YZgDqxVrcGf2i2Kpg4jBvesZmlhN0EHfvgqncCEHXcqEXHpB0l9KGtPHncAwtkqno3ApM4SCdvPdfT4N3BQvz9trlQm4AlV9oSiitT5k9VfFQ6Wc9PUsQZul0-0vkXzczpNDZ058w7mAlQQCxjCTNnHtm/w400-h283/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-09%20at%2019.18.53.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><span style="font-family: times;">The </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Edmonton Writers Group</a> presents<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"> a look at Tropes.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Okay, but what is a trope? It is a significant or reoccurring theme in a story. </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">There are hundreds of tropes that readers encounter when reading. Some are so worn out as to be almost see-through, while others are essential staples of certain genres, and will never go out of fashion. In this session we will examine these different forms of tropes.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: times;">Registration is required, please click </span><a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/64ad91d828bbaf3d00264ce5" target="_blank">here</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: times;"> to register</span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Visit <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca</a> for more information about the group.</span></p></span></div></span></span></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-91354867400589730932023-08-28T00:00:00.001-06:002023-08-28T00:00:00.146-06:00Beginning, Middle & End<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWX0T7d6Koa_jpghgShmJJZQ1WiZASy3-8F147z64iHhOjddnWwx5_JPkYDoUO2OEGL1tNVuhNaytbKpnrUWqBy84Kfrj3SyA4jWZiJH31dhpce_LrS6mZTSMwZRu68-CSS3t6W6gSmVICybILADO6vheFBdYDUyqBVthxCM6D0_seXzIVWas-BPDeO7Dg/s608/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-12%20at%2012.48.09.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="608" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWX0T7d6Koa_jpghgShmJJZQ1WiZASy3-8F147z64iHhOjddnWwx5_JPkYDoUO2OEGL1tNVuhNaytbKpnrUWqBy84Kfrj3SyA4jWZiJH31dhpce_LrS6mZTSMwZRu68-CSS3t6W6gSmVICybILADO6vheFBdYDUyqBVthxCM6D0_seXzIVWas-BPDeO7Dg/w400-h309/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-12%20at%2012.48.09.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: times;">The </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: times;"><a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Edmonton Writers Group</a> presents<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"> a look at Beginnings, Middles & Ends.</span></span></span><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: large;">All stories need a beginning, a middle and an end. In fact, it isn’t really a story (or at least not a good one) if they don’t have these basic components. Many variations however are possible. Some work better than others and many don’t work at all. In this session we will look at these three vital components of a story.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: times;">Registration is required, please click </span><a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/64ad90dfb35ce63600919d04" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: times;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: times;"> to register</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Visit <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca</a> for more information about the group.</span></p></span></div></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-67168808683731680062023-07-29T11:11:00.003-06:002023-08-12T12:50:58.357-06:00World Building - An Introduction<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsM4UJgViObZEvgBiVm3M7Hat2Ey4ZJDkR7wv_E1-opcRPQx8kdvUOEOXNU7cHRKcEDTgtuDXlBWCuB8UZc76LfRpUEHUf2gdZ6yqq4C2bZTNuPm8vkxUmXECQvB3H7IsZwjj-ES15C6QaTjzsblL9TZf6U4qSrrQeeAlytYoebZWwIt-Z_T__fqBJevf/s608/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-29%20at%2011.03.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="608" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsM4UJgViObZEvgBiVm3M7Hat2Ey4ZJDkR7wv_E1-opcRPQx8kdvUOEOXNU7cHRKcEDTgtuDXlBWCuB8UZc76LfRpUEHUf2gdZ6yqq4C2bZTNuPm8vkxUmXECQvB3H7IsZwjj-ES15C6QaTjzsblL9TZf6U4qSrrQeeAlytYoebZWwIt-Z_T__fqBJevf/w400-h283/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-29%20at%2011.03.17.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The </span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/edmontonwritersgroup" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Edmonton Writers Group</a> presents<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"> an overview of the various aspects of World Building</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">.</span> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Virtually all fiction writing needs some sort of world building to allow the reader to make sense of what the author is trying to say. Some genres need very little (e.g., Historical Fiction), while others such as Science Fiction & Fantasy can need a lot depending on various factors such as sub-genre, etc.</span></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Registration is required, please click <a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/644ac7f8caf8c4fe27213a55" target="_blank">here</a> or on the logo to register</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Visit <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca</a> for more information about the group.</span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-55194459391330282752023-05-15T19:32:00.002-06:002023-08-12T12:51:28.023-06:00Researching for Fiction & Non-fiction Writing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/644ac6a9caf8c4fe27213a00" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="605" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEieQtBolEK34C3JJkUGFl5pPClI3PR1Auth6Rd9WQukbrG0MIcx8mWdqSxBG1o_mBU_0RfMpymuOTQIXgLGVZZBxshVGIRT_fSiiOA23_hAfo-ubU2XwbpA0vm6ivgVUq5nBL-F9oSqxzj-FUAOVnG0amTRx4DGUVUFIs50cga69I_wyYNhxy2OhlA/w400-h325/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-15%20at%2019.24.35.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/edmontonwritersgroup" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--link-color-default, #02729e); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Edmonton Writers' Group</a> presents an overview of the various research processes & procedures that will be helpful for writers of both fiction & non-fiction. It will focus on basic research techniques, where to start looking, and how to go about finding what you want. Proper citation procedures will also be looked at.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Registration is required, please </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">click <a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/644ac6a9caf8c4fe27213a00" target="_blank">here</a> or on the logo to register</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Visit <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--link-color-default, #02729e); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca</a> for more information about the group.</span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-42644102022363908772023-03-05T15:17:00.003-07:002023-08-12T12:51:47.624-06:00Characters and Viewpoint<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/63d94aa7ba167a2f0018d75b" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="608" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJqeVkOHawB4wMDZRzNoCDIa1lALc6GEnI1LHEeUdM8WMZJMupE94PX4XbVz_XSMw2GoJ9OWHNJKX8RYST6zKZiwWoDifxX6w49AsfjLglJQbPLQRdmHqrIgPcSkf6YgSd_ARGIj5DocKjdSdzmFnM8ri82XQxRBlqEcsi_GjOwySzKgOTlRbX2d4dg/w400-h313/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-05%20at%2015.23.45.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">The</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/edmontonwritersgroup" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: var(--link-color-default, #02729e); cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Edmonton Writers Group</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">presents a look at w</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">hat it takes makes a good character, and what’s the best method for portraying them? This session will deal with the various facets of designing characters, their viewpoint and dialogue, and we will revisit outlining from a characterization perspective. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px;">Registration is required, please </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 16px;">click <a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/63d94aa7ba167a2f0018d75b" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a> or on the logo to register</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: start;">Visit <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--link-color-default, #02729e); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca</a> for more information about the group.</p></div><br /> <p></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-29836347362587121192022-12-23T00:00:00.002-07:002023-08-12T12:52:10.599-06:00So You Want to Write A Story<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/6389149138ef064200d37813" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="EPL PartnershipProgram Logo" border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="611" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwrTr32H70jB8yXdAHjBjwVGz9YHa4hu-UoGEzf0D4GzdSottmXXGHarkHloY91ETGf1jpu17nqH44UbpKkMz0UMTdqcVL3lo9YBGoXT7_gOIRgeeLFyWq0ByV8_C6FbEUKbVGuLk7ye185gKzhnfMCFLjppb-BKy27DNhJ0yPQX0-gfzmnbTdMKlbQ/w400-h323/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-10%20at%2016.24.13.png" title="Edmonton Writers Group Presents: So you want to write a story?" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/edmontonwritersgroup" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: var(--link-color-default, #02729e); cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">Edmonton Writers Group</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">presents an introduction to writing both short stories and novel length works that will touch on the various genres, getting ideas, and general plotting techniques. Writers of all experience and skill levels are welcome and this session will be targeted at new and aspiring writers.</span><p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Registration is required, please </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">click <a href="https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/6389149138ef064200d37813" target="_blank">here</a> or on the logo to register</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1em 0px;">Visit <a href="http://www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--link-color-default, #02729e); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">www.edmontonwritersgroup.ca</a> for more information about the group.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1em 0px;"><br /></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-25426269372253274032022-10-15T20:26:00.003-06:002022-10-15T20:26:34.566-06:00Future Meetings and Other News<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Greetings Carbon Based Bipieds*,</span></h1><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's been a long time since I posted an update on this blog, in fact it was June 21, 2021. That's coming up on 14 months! But it sure seemed to go by fast though, I guess I must have been busy doing something (other than work that is)!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For the last 20 years or so we have been regularly meeting at the Edmonton Public Library's Capilano Branch, however that came to a rather abrupt end when that pesky Covid virus showed up. Now that things are starting to get back to normal on this little old planet of ours we were thinking of going back to the library for our regular meetings, but this won't be happening - Why you ask?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Simply put the on-line system we have developed over the last 2 years is working extremely well, and everyone has got quite comfortable with this arrangement, as have most people in the western world who were forced to work from home. This can aptly be seen when you walk downtown in likely many cities, as the formerly busy shopping malls are deserted (or really close to it), there are lots of vacancies, etc. At least that's the way it is in downtown Edmonton!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another reason for this is that I really had no idea how spread out our membership was, and while it would be great seeing people in three dimensions again it seems rather a waste to have people travel long distances for a two hour meeting twice a month.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So with that in mind we won't be returning to the library for our regular meetings.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However!</span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We have formed a partnership with the Edmonton Public Library and will be hosting in-person presentations/workshops on various writing topics. They will be advertised on the EPL website, and this blog to start with, so stay tuned for these to start in the relatively near future, most will likely be held at the Capilano Branch of EPL, but other locations may be scheduled as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of these presentations will feature guest speakers from various professions, while others will concern themselves with writing themed techniques. If you have any suggestions for speakers or topics please see the list on our website, and let us know of any others you'd like to see.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On the other hand, if you do a job that you have seen portrayed incorrectly in a story, and would like to correct the wrong for future writers then place contact us and we'll do our best to fit you in.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, get busy writing!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Howard</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* Opening purloined from Sir Arthur C. Clarke's book of the same title, because it's a real cool way of opening a message, or at least I think so. It's also a really great book to read - try it!</span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-12961876303611184432021-06-26T18:00:00.001-06:002021-06-26T18:01:24.449-06:00Some Writing Resources You Might Like<p><span style="font-size: medium;">In order to fill the gap until our next project begins I hereby offer you some writing resources to assist you in your work (links at the bottom) ...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">YouTube:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesuu34_S5BwRafBycNUByfQihKJlE5CWcph1LJtE9aPcldzCh6TPLUWxTNEi4QtsvjU5Osdi9-FZVp9dpClFTxHKtiP7xRTn9NT7DKm3UO6MQmchX2xyrIh8znVyoh8dFJYCbDPHzhgWK/s428/Jenna.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="114" data-original-width="428" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesuu34_S5BwRafBycNUByfQihKJlE5CWcph1LJtE9aPcldzCh6TPLUWxTNEi4QtsvjU5Osdi9-FZVp9dpClFTxHKtiP7xRTn9NT7DKm3UO6MQmchX2xyrIh8znVyoh8dFJYCbDPHzhgWK/w400-h106/Jenna.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMxhKMnJY1fyAQa-QfRsU8Cvks3RgEU5ggn6RWK3TGCwJxv4Pix2p1uoi__Eb0LpQX8tIlIdHiQa00aJSY5WDoVg3yEkNFq_oZ_a0n9NPHvgqlVhkLqPog4Ud8gpwOSshWhsaNCNNpGPp/s428/iWriterly.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="114" data-original-width="428" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMxhKMnJY1fyAQa-QfRsU8Cvks3RgEU5ggn6RWK3TGCwJxv4Pix2p1uoi__Eb0LpQX8tIlIdHiQa00aJSY5WDoVg3yEkNFq_oZ_a0n9NPHvgqlVhkLqPog4Ud8gpwOSshWhsaNCNNpGPp/w400-h106/iWriterly.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-HOwG9u-sJXn5K9iMcwYog9cSJed1vpEybShvfNnZhYwmUmtW03lf7MV6908m79fNqxH2byKzNr593QiEzYNuF9b10zuyRfKpy7QNnBnOGv93S6BJONEcVJs9vFUiItiV4xTr-4tOzYp/s285/Scrivenerapp.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="103" data-original-width="285" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-HOwG9u-sJXn5K9iMcwYog9cSJed1vpEybShvfNnZhYwmUmtW03lf7MV6908m79fNqxH2byKzNr593QiEzYNuF9b10zuyRfKpy7QNnBnOGv93S6BJONEcVJs9vFUiItiV4xTr-4tOzYp/w400-h145/Scrivenerapp.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpXTdJ5yIf5kSe99I7dKK_qP3-FaIQqkMez6SUrb9hfgHlI2nY4nSvx_Uh1Sgb_Ja4C_VcY9w0qe9cL8ZjSwGgJYsNs6vWTEGK2p3wqkEHSHt4cKMG8TgKizt_KCql5aTYSdxyUKLY2ZM/s301/Karen+Prince.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="111" data-original-width="301" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpXTdJ5yIf5kSe99I7dKK_qP3-FaIQqkMez6SUrb9hfgHlI2nY4nSvx_Uh1Sgb_Ja4C_VcY9w0qe9cL8ZjSwGgJYsNs6vWTEGK2p3wqkEHSHt4cKMG8TgKizt_KCql5aTYSdxyUKLY2ZM/w400-h148/Karen+Prince.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); color: #0000ee; font-size: medium; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_fcv9kBpDN4WWrfcbCrgw" target="_blank">Writing with Jenna Moreci</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKeBsBrWDtIBrnrCkxHo5MQ" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">iWriterly</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlxzNdNb_cZmsT3eokhozg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Scrivenerapp (Literature and Latte)</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTkqDMNySB3SUllO7XRua0g" target="_blank">Karen Prince</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-17908677493742567242021-06-07T00:00:00.006-06:002021-06-07T00:00:00.192-06:00Advice IV - A Personal Insight into Writing by Lea Kulmatycki<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3YAKsyhsqT4dBlvubtT2ZPyhN-aJRIUl2kd2P7lIoU0Z-OjbNMcr996xmgRP9FmtT7WFZ-yq6T6k47-9R4NHu-kFNUchO8Lnx8PYuG6TWxL4iQaivKmK7gAx2GI5jX119o3s4E0RIWrM/s2048/Crop+2+a-blue-point-himalayan-sits-at-a-desk+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1941" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3YAKsyhsqT4dBlvubtT2ZPyhN-aJRIUl2kd2P7lIoU0Z-OjbNMcr996xmgRP9FmtT7WFZ-yq6T6k47-9R4NHu-kFNUchO8Lnx8PYuG6TWxL4iQaivKmK7gAx2GI5jX119o3s4E0RIWrM/s320/Crop+2+a-blue-point-himalayan-sits-at-a-desk+.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span><p style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Advice about writing abounds and it can become overwhelming. However, there are some basics that are worth reiterating. The best piece of advice I received, and the most memorable, came from my very first editor when I was just starting my writing journey. I had learned early that the red pen was my best friend and diligently made revisions and corrections. As the red on my pages began to diminish, I was delighted with my progress. My editor did not share that opinion.</span></p></span></span><p></p><p></p><p></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>One day he showed up unexpectedly on my doorstep, several chapters of my manuscript in hand. Before I could greet him, he thrust the sheaf of pages at me and plunked a small red and white hard covered book on top of the bundle in my hands. He uttered two simple words, “use it,” turned, and left. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Bewildered, I retreated to my kitchen table to check out the small book which, judging from my editor’s behavior, could be a make or break deal on my future as a writer. I thumbed quickly through the book, still rather clueless as to the problem. Why would he give me something called The Word Book? (For those of you unfamiliar with The Word Book, it’s simply a 4” x 5.75” dictionary minus definitions – substantially easier to use to check the spelling of a word.)</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I quickly scanned the pages of my manuscript, devoid of the typical red markings I had learned to expect. I admit this was not one of my most brilliant deductive moments. It took me a few minutes to put two and two together. I rummaged through my piles of papers and pulled out several previously edited chapters. I carefully scrutinized the red strikethroughs and scratches. You guessed it. The majority of my corrections were simple spelling errors. Whoops! </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to wait long for a version of spellcheck which actually did the job it was intended to do. The Word Book was more accurate than the early versions of spellcheck. Notice I’m not using today’s term, “autocorrect”. Early spellcheck programs did not automatically correct spelling errors, they offered suggestions. The beauty of having to take the time to look and retype a misspelled word correctly allowed me to improve my spelling. A short while ago, someone commented on my spelling expertise. Little did they know!</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I threw weekly spelling tests out the window the minute my students could use computers to complete a writing assignment. It was far more efficient to teach them to make use of the spellcheck function – <i>not</i> autocorrect. Even students in grade one! My students became far better at spelling words correctly than they had when they laboured over the weekly spelling list. The computer was able to catch a common spelling error each time it was made, forcing the student to focus on spelling the word correctly until it was no longer an issue. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>So, the advice I would pass on to any writer, is to use spellcheck and grammar checking programs. But beware! While they are essential tools for writing, they do not catch all the errors. In fact, at one point I tested numerous online grammar checkers for simple sentence punctuation – sentence begins with a capital and ends with a period. Not one was able to perform that function. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>With grammar checking programs, the issue of style also arises. At a French writing workshop, the instructor gave us a number of exercises to complete. During one of the exercises I was called to give the answer. I didn’t add a comma after the conjunction; everyone in the room was doing the polite dance since they thought I had made an error. However, the instructor, who had her PhD in linguistics, didn’t comment. Someone pointed out the lack of a comma, saying the common program always adds the comma. The instructor proceeded to explain how the “correction” was in fact just a stylistic suggestion, but more often than not we’ve become accustomed to just blindly accepting all the proposed changes. So think critically, carefully considering the changes suggested by your program.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>We’ve all heard someone bemoan the fact that they spellchecked as well as grammar checked their work and there were still errors. It’s to be expected. That’s where your friends play an important role in refining your manuscript. I usually pass my second draft to a couple of my friends whose jobs entail a great deal of writing. They are invaluable in catching little things, and sometimes not so little things, that I have just missed. However, we are only human. We’ve all caught errors in books from our best loved authors.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>You can find Lea at her website … <a href="http://mlkulmatycki.com">mlkulmatycki.com</a> </span></p><div><br /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-28952616776502373162021-05-31T00:00:00.018-06:002021-05-31T00:00:00.193-06:00Advice III - A Personal Insight into Writing by Howard Gibbins<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>When one of our members suggested this as our next blog topic, I thought it was a great idea (and still do, by the way). It however caused me some concern as to begin with I really had no concrete idea what got me interested in writing. I've always been an avid reader, and typically go though over 50 books a year. I also review them on my blog, and on Goodreads so this provides me with an incentive to keep reading.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>In looking back and trying to figure out who and what influenced me, and put me on the path for a writing career, To begin with it's pretty safe to say that I just find it fun to write, and make up stories. Many authors seem to have a really good idea of what inspired them, but not me. In fact I never really gave writing much thought until about 25 or so years ago. Before that I had taken a stab at a couple of short stories way back when I was in school, but that was a long time ago. I can only really remember a couple of the scenes I wrote.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I do remember reading a story written by someone in my Junior High School that was called either "Kingpin" or "The Kingpin" which concerned a spaceship that was being investigated by an organization or something along those lines, so if you want to stretch things it is possible that this story might qualify as being partially responsible, and showing me that anyone could write. I don't remember much about the story, but if I could find a copy of it now, I think it would be fun to reread it. Unfortunately, I have lost contact with all but one person that I went to school with so it is rather unlikely this will ever happen. Other that this unknown author, I was primarily influenced by the classic science fiction writers Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert A. Heinlein. Isaac Asimov can also be included as well, however I mainly read his non-fiction books until much later.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Today when you speak with people about writing one of the first things that seems to be brought up is the influence of television or movies. Surprising to most people is that neither of these had much influence on me. During most of my elementary school years I lived in a small town, and we only got one channel, and the reception was terrible! This was before cable TV for you younglings. I do recall seeing part of an episode of Star Trek during it's initial run, but as far as I can remember I only ever saw the one. I learned later that was entitled "Arena" and it featured the Gorn. Outside of this though I never saw any episodes of "The Twilight Zone", "The Outer Limits", "Lost in Space", or the other classic shows as we never got them. When it came to movies - forget it, they did exist when I was growing up, but I can't remember ever going to see them in a theatre. Over the years since then I have seen quite a humber of them, but I still have a long way to go. My first recollection of watching science fiction in a theatre was the Original Star Wars, which I saw many times when it was first released.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>There were of course other influences. When I began to get interested in writing I did read a number of books on how to write a novel, by various authors, and then in many cases ignored what they had to say. The one that comes to mind was by the late Sue Grafton, the author of the Alphabet Mystery series, there were others too, but I can't remember the other authors. In all cases however, they pretty much gave the same advice, which I never really followed, so I can only really credit them for being non-influences as they wanted you to have a particular place you wrote in, at a particular time of day, etc. In other words a very structured system, but this isn't something that the vast majority people can do, and definitely not my cup of tea.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I suppose when you look at it my influences didn't come from a particular author, or set of circumstances. They come from life in general, and because I read so much when I was young this gave me what I think is a great imagination - something that every fiction author needs. Now because I read a lot of science fiction when I was young, I'm sure this has influenced me to a certain degree, but don't believe it can be considered to be the main contributor as I also read the James Bond novels, mysteries by Agatha Christie, and many others. This variety though has definitely influenced my writing as a given story may have the attributes of a mystery, crime novel, science fiction, thriller, spy novel, and who knows what else.</span></p><div><br /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-6890059201954809622021-05-24T00:00:00.009-06:002021-05-24T00:00:00.175-06:00Advice II - A Personal Insight into Writing by Robin James<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYulLVkg848f13Mr7zVCr77bNrR6S_-mlB1u4PnXt8apgWDx725GHlyxvrgbERaann0X9H3I4p9hG2Ui_iawt1R6po5JYpp_F9zlZ0RDprzEac1QbJIcSzY6CZ9FEaWY5mh8Dir9sLafuT/s2048/advice.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYulLVkg848f13Mr7zVCr77bNrR6S_-mlB1u4PnXt8apgWDx725GHlyxvrgbERaann0X9H3I4p9hG2Ui_iawt1R6po5JYpp_F9zlZ0RDprzEac1QbJIcSzY6CZ9FEaWY5mh8Dir9sLafuT/w400-h266/advice.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span> </span>Advice is easy to give and hard to follow, but what's even harder is starting a writing project. Vivid stories may live in your mind, but readers cannot indulge themselves in it until you've written it. With that in mind, the best advice I have for new and seasoned writers is: your first draft is for your eyes only.</p><p><span> </span>A beautifully crafted story won't emerge the first time you sit down to write it, regardless of how well developed it is in your mind. Writing is an art form and like all art, the learning stages can be unsightly.</p><p><span> </span>So let your first draft be a mess.</p><p><span> </span>Go wild with this draft. Use purple prose if you want, toss in all the adverbs, tell instead of show, choke the paragraphs with every cliche known to writers, use run-on sentences or fragments of phrases, but write it.</p><p><span> </span>Write incoherently, write fervently, write with unfettered joy, write with abandon. Get the story out of your mind and into a format that can be edited. Write the story as if you're telling someone the best parts, write the story out of order, write the easiest bits, write the same parts over and over, but write it.</p><p><span> </span>Ramble on for pages and pages about the character's backstory, describe the setting as if it's your favourite place to be in the whole universe, create epic infodumps, but write it.</p><p><span> </span>There's no need to edit or censor yourself. Rewording and reworking can happen later. This draft is for you, let it be what it is and celebrate the fact that you've written it out because no word is ever wasted. Practice is required and these rough drafts help you perfect your craft. There is no judgment awaiting this document, no comparisons, and no critical eye scanning the pages. Free yourself of all constraints and just write it.</p><p><span> </span>Once this draft is done and you have a weighty document full of contradictions, messy plot lines, massive plot holes, two dimensional characters, awkward dialogue, and some absolute gems of phrases, then and only then can you edit and begin to see the shape of your work. You cannot edit a blank page. You cannot find your narrative voice without writing multitudes of words. You cannot hone your writing skills without writing.</p><p><span> </span>I promise you that no word will be wasted. Yes, you will cut portions of the work later, remove swaths of writing, reword clunky dialogue, and trim the prose so it flows. You will likely change the plot, remove a character, add descriptions, and learn where to fill in the gaps. But none of what you've written is unnecessary. Every word serves a purpose, and that purpose is practice.</p><p><span> </span>Keep your first draft private. No one looks at eggs, sugar, and flour and exclaims how their cake is awful. No one should see your first draft and complain of how your story doesn't make sense. This draft isn't meant to make sense, it's just ingredients to a story that will shine after the injection of hard work.</p><p><span> </span>There's no need to bow to the fear of failure, fear of not finishing, or fear of not measuring up because nobody else will ever have the luxury of viewing this absolute disaster of a first draft. It's yours and yours alone. So get started by simply writing it.</p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-85998307140878480412021-05-17T00:00:00.026-06:002021-05-17T00:00:00.201-06:00Advice I - A Personal Insight into Writing by Brad Oates<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> What is the best advice you’ve received about writing? Do you incorporate that advice into your writing habits, and would you give this same advice to a newbie writer, or something different?</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgqIcay7vd1F3aVCIrNUPC9b_KTKiKqaaVrZTnxNrP2C_aTzjZaoAcKW9ZqHwQWyrK91MwAn2wAdh1dW5eiY-PYcCS9ubpyOpo6MnysAs0qEypjZEfVMiysOx7aHweYL_C2XQS3yMQh-W/s814/Brad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgqIcay7vd1F3aVCIrNUPC9b_KTKiKqaaVrZTnxNrP2C_aTzjZaoAcKW9ZqHwQWyrK91MwAn2wAdh1dW5eiY-PYcCS9ubpyOpo6MnysAs0qEypjZEfVMiysOx7aHweYL_C2XQS3yMQh-W/s320/Brad+2.jpg" /></span></a></div><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br /></span><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>The best piece of advice I’ve received as a writer is now the first piece I give to any aspiring writer. It’s a no brainer, and in my experience, it’s the defining trait that will separate those who want to write for themselves alone, and those who wish to grow their talent and share it with others—particularly on the mass market. The advice is simple: learn to love the red pen.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>If you’re working on a piece, and you share it with others, seek out the corrections, the questions, and the complaints. They will help you vastly more than the compliments and trite pieces of praise. If you only want to be told how good your work is, you may as well just put it up on your trophy shelf and call it a day. But if you’re willing to find out what doesn’t work for others—where they get lost or lose interest—then you'll find yourself on the path to becoming a better and more successful writer.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s not always easy to take this advice. We're all deeply attached to our work. When we first present it to the world, it’s all too natural to dream of unanimous adulation and unfettered praise. Sadly, that will get you nothing, and your work will never become anything more than what it started as.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>True, there are probably a small handful of special cases where a book was written in one go and became a critical darling with nary an edit needed. But those are the extreme exceptions to the rule. For the most part, writing is by-and-large a social process. It’s an effort by us to communicate to others, and like it or not, communication is a two-way street. If you want to express yourself, you’d do well to start by listening.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Learn what catches the reader, what motivates them to turn the page, and why they become attached to some characters over others. Learn what works in your writing, and what doesn’t.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I remember vividly the first time I shared a section of my first attempt at a novel (now long forsaken) with a big group of strangers. Naïve nitwit that I was, I was secretly hoping for everyone in the room to fawn over my clever wordplay and gasp at the stunning insights I had into society and soul alike. What I got were some curt head nods, some perplexed ‘harrumphs’, and a lot of red marks all over my professionally printed (and very expensive) pages.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I went to my car and sat in the dark parking lot—the tiny driver’s light and a big blue Walmart sign provided my only illumination—and I read every single comment.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some were stupid. Some missed the point. At first, I began to fall into the old trap of imagining that any critique of my efforts represented a shortcoming not in my prose, but in the reader. ‘They just don’t get what I’m trying to do.’</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Make no mistake—this is the most fatal mindset a writer can ever have. It means stagnation, complacency, and death.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>As I processed all of this sadly, I made the best decision I’ve ever made as a writer. I sat there, and I read it all again.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Some of the comments still seemed a bit asinine—there will always be a few of those. Others however, made a good point. When more than one person made that point, I began to connect the dots.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I pulled out a red pen of my own, and on one untouched copy, I began to scribble my own notes and corrections. For close to an hour, I sat there, and the potential of my book began to unfold before me. By learning what my peers liked and didn’t like, and what questions they had, I soon began to feel closer to the characters and events themselves. I was no long creating a world for my own amusement; the world was made, and I was now partaking in it and watching it develop.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>So, I share this advice now as I’ve shared it ever since that moment. Eschew those who will sing nothing but your praises. Find the contrarians and the bastards--those who care enough about you to tell you when something isn’t right.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>If you want to write for yourself, that’s fine. Writing is an art, and it’s no less valuable if its audience is only one. But if you do want to produce something that will resonate with others, then you should damn sure listen to what they're saying and find those who are honest enough to help you. </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Seek out the ones who want to grow your talents, not your ego. </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">-Brad OH Inc.</span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-75538439044084149012021-05-10T00:00:00.004-06:002021-05-10T00:00:00.202-06:00Hurdles IX - A Personal Insight into Writing by Peter Lok<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4pMUI6r9NmpoXvJbuuj_OWklNJjOUZnkxwlqWDhnp3xjkQ7VfXlf2_cWjt73aP3olSb-HNsH1JCZIclr2Y0AAVgl7Z7iymgzVEfYY67P5l6Qn6wjDoouZizTKzaI1rS4dhpB0sHWVaHk/s1257/Peter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="1098" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4pMUI6r9NmpoXvJbuuj_OWklNJjOUZnkxwlqWDhnp3xjkQ7VfXlf2_cWjt73aP3olSb-HNsH1JCZIclr2Y0AAVgl7Z7iymgzVEfYY67P5l6Qn6wjDoouZizTKzaI1rS4dhpB0sHWVaHk/s320/Peter.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overcoming Hurdles in Writing</span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Everyone can write. Writing should be like talking to the page for a technical paper or something creative. The words should just flow, be properly structured and chosen, and capture the ideas I had in my head. <b>This is not what really happens, and writing is more difficult than just having a conversation.</b> There is a permanence to writing, unlike a conversation, so almost all writing needs rework and editing to some degree.</span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I would consider myself to be a good writer, not some artistic genius who is going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, but I can put out an entertaining story. When I write, I’ve run into writer’s block, no motivation to write, and been daunted by long writing tasks. I was a programmer and then a business analyst, so some of my techniques to overcome these hurdles come from my professional background.</span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Writer’s block is a nasty thing. I may have an idea, but I just cannot get something down on paper that seems to represent it properly. My creativity is just not working and I’m stuck. When I’ve run into this problem I try to get away from it for a while to clear my head – sometimes I get great ideas by taking a walk outside or even talking to someone else about it. Another thing I can do is to change tasks and work on something else. Having a few things going at the same time or getting a change of pace works wonders.</span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Motivation to write is a hard thing to solve. It is one level above writer’s block as I cannot even get to the writing to have writer’s block. Getting motivation is easy if I’m writing and able to get the words down fairly easily, but what happens when I derail for some reason. I treat getting motivated like a job as one solution. I can have a job I do not like, but I still do the job (<i>note: if you are in a bad job like this in real life you might consider a change as this is bad for your mental health</i>). This means I need to dedicate time to writing – preferably at a regular time – and do it continually. Even as I write this, I am moving forward on a novel I’m working on right now with this method. I remember reading about Dan Brown when he wrote the “Da Vinci Code” and he basically spent the first hour of every morning working on it, dedicating time to it. Having a goal to achieve and keeping that in mind is also good for motivation.</span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Being daunted by a large writing project is only natural. Any large project, be it a home renovation, writing a book, analyzing a business system, or a year long software development, looks like a huge mountain to climb and impossible to do. I tackle this by using decomposition and simplification. Decomposition is taking a big task and breaking it down into little tasks. To decompose, I have to outline or identify an overall structure / plan. I then break down these big pieces into smaller pieces (e.g. chapters / scenes). Simplification tries to minimize what you actually need to do for the big tasks or little tasks. What is the core theme, functionality, or plot required? Simpler is better, right? This allows a core narrative or a minimum viable product to be created to get the big project done. Getting something written that is coherent or a simpler system that works is better than the alternative. </span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having this overall structure in place allows me to know how much work I have to do, how it fits together, and allows me to work on something else if I’m stuck on one thing. This helps to mitigate excessive rework too. Importantly, I can measure progress by passing milestones as I finish up little tasks. Suddenly, a chapter is done, or a section of a document, and you can move on to the next writing objective. Achieving milestones helps with motivation and determination as I have a positive achievement. </span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These three hurdles are something that I’ve run into many, many times when I write for myself and for my professional work. Of course, all hurdles also drop away when you can get into the “zone.” This is a term from my programming days. When you are in the “zone” you are focused on the task at hand and are extremely productive. Getting into the zone is another kind of hurdle, one that can only be solved if you like what you are doing. </span></p><p style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is one last thing I would like to mention, and that is endless rework or editing. When I finish writing a section or a chapter, I do not try to get it absolutely perfect. Good enough is good enough as I need to keep momentum up on my writing to keep hitting milestones. When I am done with my first draft or have achieved significant progress, I can go back to edit and rework. The need to keep producing is a priority so that I never have the un-ending work in progress and can keep my motivation up. I hope I have been able to give a little advice that has worked for me, so good luck with your writing.</span></p><div><br /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-54562443736905842742021-05-03T00:00:00.001-06:002021-05-03T00:00:00.177-06:00Hurdles VIII - A Personal Insight into Writing by M. L. Kulmatycki<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmXJxIjd9nujoGX0LqDaqz7qh6-Wa_CpINbNaVXgHMjPR708WI0VaG8vUtt8MS_pkwSfh6YqvNsR96VHeq6rKWFeLAyA1vhyphenhyphen7aUG0BrQn5GVxbIUlG-LgetMt8LHn7E_VNZOzYRLBL-4B/s1827/Lea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1827" data-original-width="1489" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmXJxIjd9nujoGX0LqDaqz7qh6-Wa_CpINbNaVXgHMjPR708WI0VaG8vUtt8MS_pkwSfh6YqvNsR96VHeq6rKWFeLAyA1vhyphenhyphen7aUG0BrQn5GVxbIUlG-LgetMt8LHn7E_VNZOzYRLBL-4B/s320/Lea.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">While I’ve always considered myself self-aware, I’ve never had the time to wax philosophically about the process I use to write. I just do it. So I’m enjoying the opportunity this series of blog posts is giving me to reflect on the art of my writing and my craft. I’m also using this opportunity to take a closer at three authors who have influenced me – Stephen King, Dan Abnett, and Nora Roberts.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we talk about what hinders our writing, we need only to look to Stephen King to see the value of optimism and determination. I admire King for his ability to push forward successfully despite the numerous life challenges he has faced. When I am going through a difficult period in my writing, I remember that he believes important things are inherently difficult to write. Writing takes effort and determination. It is something we all should remember to make our writing journey easier.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While I couldn’t find any specific challenges that hinder Dan Abnett’s writing, I did find out that he enjoys the challenge of writing in a predefined universe. Finding what he refers to as “the best possible story” motivates his writing. A lot of my academic writing could be described as a gun for hire. So I can relate to the excitement of taking on a project with predetermined content and molding it into something powerful. Abnett also maintains his creativity level by switching his writing genres. He will divide his day between novel writing and comic scripting. This is also something I can also relate to as it is the process I use when I’m involved in designing book covers.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s interesting that one of the main obstacles to writing voiced by some of the previous bloggers echoes Nora Roberts- the business of writing. Those things that are part of the writing process and part of being an author, but are separate from writing the story. I would put blog/website, research, business correspondence, etc. all on this list. A bestselling author has a staff to take care of many of those tasks. I’m not that lucky. Those tasks are worked in after my writing time. For those of you who are following me, this explains the current state of my website – it’s the fourth time I’m redoing my blog because WordPress keeps retiring the themes I’ve chosen. The smart thing to do would be to choose a boring theme. But low, the artist in me won’t give in. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was personally pleased when I read that Nora Roberts feels every story is a challenge. Every new time I have taken on a new writing project I have been faced with a set of new challenges. This thought led me back down the road of introspection to figure out what actually hinders my writing. I pondered this question for several days. I’ve always considered writers’ block, telephone calls, and paying bills annoying things that need to be taken care of, not a hindrance to my writing. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found my answer - the first three chapters. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While King, Abnett, and Roberts write in distinctly different genres, all three of them paint pictures with words. In order for me to paint a story, I spend time on those first few chapters to determine the style, tone, and characters needed to turn my sketch into a beautiful watercolour, a bright abstract piece, or a coloured pencil drawing. This takes time and more revisions than I would like to admit before I am happy that I’m creating a piece that will come alive in my readers’ minds. It is extremely frustrating when I reread my first three chapters only to find I’ve achieved a quick pencil sketch when a bright abstract piece is required. However, once I’ve completed those first three chapters and my masterpiece is begun, I find the rest of story an enjoyable write. Perhaps, I need to redefine how I look at this part of my writing process. It is part of the process, not a hindrance that needs to be overcome. As for the other things life throws at us, let’s not give them power by calling them hindrances, but minor annoyances. I’m banking on effort and determination to help me work out that tricky balance between time for writing and time for the everyday stuff life throws at me. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just a short side note about author Ernest Hemingway. Despite his romance with the bottle, Hemingway never drank while writing. So while you may be tempted to gulp your Bailey’s straight from the bottle to make your research more tolerable, dash off a new blog post, or cure the spell of writer’s block, it’s probably best left to savour it over ice at the end of the day.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can find Lea at her <a href="http://www.mlkulmatycki.com" target="_blank">website</a></span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-6104192743669014852021-04-26T00:00:00.020-06:002021-04-26T00:00:00.205-06:00Hurdles VII - A Personal Insight into Writing by Don Levers<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span> </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSx96Y2uKbVoKi8quRRSAsHuGiq8CFxn6akXxXzEw1N29VbTwOMTA6Sp8pMYEVuvC1ByaA3CWwfHFTpKXQ6Gam8k7ERO-Za1NG1WMKvxyL8l0o1pVaYoG_zvxWVUNEANIw-S3V8_pTURh/s381/Don.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSx96Y2uKbVoKi8quRRSAsHuGiq8CFxn6akXxXzEw1N29VbTwOMTA6Sp8pMYEVuvC1ByaA3CWwfHFTpKXQ6Gam8k7ERO-Za1NG1WMKvxyL8l0o1pVaYoG_zvxWVUNEANIw-S3V8_pTURh/w276-h320/Don.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"><span> </span>What hampers me from writing?</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>In my case, I believe two things fall into this category.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Number one is life. Sometimes it just gets in the way. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Most of us think that things were so simple when we were younger. There is a feeling that life progresses at a snail’s pace. We couldn’t wait for our next birthday to get a little older so we could do the things older kids were doing. Summer vacation from school took an entire year to arrive. In high school, we had time to play sports or be a part of an organization like scouts or cadets. We had time to take part in the high school plays. In those days, as the lead in several high school drama productions, I had the time to memorize an entire three-act play. Not just my own lines, but I could memorize the whole play, including all the stage directions. The simple reason for this is that I had time. There were no burdens of having a job or the obligations that come with raising and providing for your own family. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>My sojourn into writing began with writing and directing several award-winning skits in the 1980s. I always had what many would consider an overactive imagination. This is apparently controlled by the right side of the brain. The problem is I am also overly analytical, which is considered to be a left-brain function. In fact, a good friend and mentor of mine I used to build furniture with went so far as to call me anal. The thing is, he said it with affection, not malice. The furniture we created together were works of art and but precise in their measurements. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>After publishing my children’s book about Ogopogo, life got in the way. This was the main reason it took me thirty years from when I began writing Loot for the Taking until self-publishing it in 2017. When I finally had the opportunity to start writing, the second item that hampered my writing, the world phenomenon known as (The Internet) began interfering with my writing. This new tool meant I started researching everything I wrote about. For <i>Loot for the Taking</i>, I researched many things. How much did a kilo of cocaine cost? What was the price of an ounce of gold in 1987? What was that ounce worth as I completed the book in 2017? I spent hours researching inflation and the rise in the stock market for those same periods. I spent hours on google maps following a course from the Vancouver airport to the Vancouver General Hospital. I wanted anyone who lived in Vancouver to know the route was accurate. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I am currently working on several projects. Terminal Justice is a tale of revenge. For this project, I have interviewed Police Forensic teams and accident, reconstruction experts. I have also spoken with ex-military snipers. These technical experts have helped ensure my book is not what Hollywood has us believing is possible. Google satellite and street maps have once again played a role in finding locations I have used.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>The research I have done on my other projects pales compared to what I have been doing since beginning my non-fiction book, <i>Our Fathers’ Footsteps</i>. It is an anthology of four men who landed on the Normandy’s Beaches on D-Day in June of 1944. The men’s stories and the facts of that historical time have taken hundreds of hours to accumulate. Each hour spent on research may be lucky to produce a single sentence, or if I’m incredibly fortunate, I may get an entire paragraph. <i>Our Fathers’ Footsteps</i> also includes over 80 historical pictures that are woven into the story. I have spent countless hours getting the correct picture for a specific paragraph or situation. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Since this was my first attempt at writing non-fiction, I made numerous mistakes from the get-go. I did a poor job of recording the sources I used throughout the book. This resulted in too many hours to mention retracing my steps to cite my sources correctly. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Life getting in the way has created consistent roadblocks for me over the years. However, researching the facts for either fiction or non-fiction has proven to be my greatest challenge and biggest reward. This is accentuated to a great extent when I find myself heading down a rabbit hole on the internet. When typing a question into a search engine, you are instantly inundated with hundreds if not thousands of possible solutions to your search. Sifting through these potential revelations to a single question can take hours. If none of the initial responses gives you the answer you are looking for, reword your question. I found many of the results from the second query are the same as the original request. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>All the time and hard work can be rewarded by a few words of praise when the work is completed. The other thing is, you might just learn something new while doing the research.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Case in point of the rewards came from two sources as I complete Our Fathers’ Footsteps. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“I have just finished the first reading Our Fathers’ Footsteps. As I was involved in many of the circumstances described, I kept wishing it would go on and on. You wrote it almost as if you were there.”<span style="background-color: white;"><b> Jim Parks</b> (Surviving veteran, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles) </span></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“Thanks for the opportunity to see an advanced copy of your new book. I have had the opportunity to read the first 100 pages of Our Fathers’ Footsteps. Let me start off with a ‘big salute and congratulations on a job well done. Your research and focus on detail are not only educational but quite captivating for any reader. The picture inserts are extremely effective and provide that degree of authenticity that really brings the story to life.” <b>Brad Talbot</b> (Retired teacher with Masters in Education) </span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>So while life and research can get in the way of writing, each is an integral part of the writing process. </span></p><div><br /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-24651604377817907842021-04-19T00:00:00.006-06:002021-04-19T00:00:00.204-06:00Hurdles VI - A Personal Insight into Writing by Joanne Johnson<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><span> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlIdoTE7-Hm2CLlHeKb1Dgr9nP_Ddp9yIm0dvorDH3xhtTc7WO93oml1_TMLtmzJinQGfMQJ_dUtkC3gHz3Qic1M9EpSslod_XNXPjH3Q8d8dkUjyR5smLD17MM45bGn1Gvn7m6uqR2Uj/s334/Joanne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlIdoTE7-Hm2CLlHeKb1Dgr9nP_Ddp9yIm0dvorDH3xhtTc7WO93oml1_TMLtmzJinQGfMQJ_dUtkC3gHz3Qic1M9EpSslod_XNXPjH3Q8d8dkUjyR5smLD17MM45bGn1Gvn7m6uqR2Uj/s320/Joanne.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><span> </span>Wouldn’t it be nice if we could concentrate on writing full time?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">Retirement from a nine to five job seemed to offer that opportunity. But things inevitably get in the way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><span> </span>First of all, of course, is day-to-day living. There are meals to prepare, bathrooms to clean and furniture to dust. (I used to have ornaments, but that was way too much dusting.) We all have hobbies. Mine is singing with a group. That involves practicing music, attending (Zoom) rehearsals and supporting my ‘riser buddies’. No group runs itself and being the type of person I am, there are board meetings, newsletters to write, member concerns to look after and in my case, minutes to compile and distribute. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span> </span>After all that, I sit down to write. Ideas come to me and the stories get written. My method is to write in a straight line. Wherever my characters take me, I follow. That works for me. And I have published some books and short stories. Job done, right?</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span> </span>Wrong! The book is written, but it needs editing. A boring but necessary job before it can go to a professional editor or to be released. The editing usually takes longer than the initial draft, because every comma, every unnecessary adjective, every question left hanging must be scrutinized. Does the character grow? What does the kitchen look like? How many times can the word awesome be used? Time does not fly.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span> </span>The book is on Amazon. Hurray, I can relax and start the next story. Wrong again! Who will buy the book? How will they find it? After I give copies to all my family, who will know I wrote it? Marketing hell looms. In these Covid times, there can’t be a physical launch or a reading at the local library. There are lots of ways to publicize, but aside from Amazon and Facebook, they all cost money. Money I don’t have because I haven’t sold any books yet. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span> </span>A website…that’s what I need. Websites are easy these days. Sign up, pick a template and put in some content. Do you know what that takes? Time. Time that is not spent writing. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span> </span>I have read that writers write because they have to. I do write and maybe the reasons that I give are not impediments but excuses. So tomorrow, I will spend time actually writing. Oh, wait! Tomorrow I have to go shopping, and work in the yard, and…and…!</p>
<p style="color: #0b4cb4; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.jmjohnson-author.com">www.jmjohnson-author.com</a></span></p><div><br /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-24341370722132355342021-04-12T00:00:00.008-06:002021-04-12T00:00:00.218-06:00Hurdles V - A Personal Insight into Writing by Nick Begon<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; white-space: pre;"> </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The dreaded blank page. </i></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></i>Among various and sundry reasons, that stands out to me as something that hinders my writing. Quite often, I write stories that feature expansive storylines with multiple point of view characters. When starting a new section or chapter, especially a new story, I tend to pause and stare at my screen. I ask myself ‘What the hell am I going to write about’? Even if I know what the plot of the section is, I just can’t bring myself to start typing. Maybe a single word, like the POV character’s name, just to remind me what’s going in there. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For me, one of the most difficult aspects of writing is bridging the gap between pure ideas that swim in our brain pans and tangible gatherings of text on a page. When I first dream up a story or character or fictional world, they exist in perfect bliss. Like celestial beings free from the turmoil of mortal existence. Taking those ideas and putting them on the page is, in essence, sacrificing the celestials’ incorporeal beauty and transforming it into an altogether different form. All of it is art. But so often, it gets distorted when we make our ideas reality. The characters don’t feel real. The flow of the story feels awkward and stunted. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So, one thing I do is limit myself to writing a sentence, or a paragraph. Then I leave that particular piece alone and move on to another one. When I return the next day, there’s something on the page. The ball has started rolling. I have something to work with, which gets my fingers flying across the keyboard. And that brings me to another thing that hinders my writing. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’m a very organized person. If a chair is askew, I go out of my way to straighten it. I like my computer table and my bedroom arranged in a specific way that I don’t like changed. I also prefer things to be in a logical/chronological order. A is followed by B which is followed by C. For a long time after I started writing, I strictly wrote everything from beginning to end. Chapter 1, then Chapter 2, then Chapter 3. No exceptions. This caused problems along the way. I would end up staring at the blank screen, unwilling –and even dreading– working on a scene of dialogue or exposition. The problem came to me after I’d delved into several writing podcasts and attended a few conferences in Calgary and Surrey, B.C. I didn’t want to work on the next logical segment because I was too busy getting excited about a segment that happens much later in the narrative. It could be an action scene, the introduction of a new character, or anything. So, a few years ago, I gave myself permission to jump around as needed. I still try to stick to logical progression, but if I have an itch to write something, even if it’s the climax of the story, I go ahead and write it. Once it’s out of my system, I can go back and work on the thing I wasn’t as excited for. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>My brain doesn’t think small. I don’t just think of stories, I think of novels. Those novels become part of a series. That series becomes part of a connected universe a la Marvel or the Cosmere. I’ve been seriously pursuing writing since I started university in fall of 2013. By Odin’s beard, I feel old now! Anyway, for me, my dream job is to write for a living. Getting paid to work on novels every day is my ultimate goal in life. I have long-term plans, the shortest of which is ‘finish this novel’. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I get excited about all my stories. Whether it’s the characters or the cool magic system or the unique worldbuilding, I love them all for one reason or another. I want to write them, to get to that point of typing THE END and getting that satisfaction that I actually completed something. But, while I try to enforce at least some writing done every single day, I continually get frustrated by not making enough progress. ‘I wrote 1,000 words today, but I didn’t finish this chapter, and there’s 30 to go! What the hell is wrong with you?’ It’s a problem I face on a regular basis, because I get disappointed I’m not finishing something I can show to my friends and family, or submit to an agent or editor. I have to remind myself that, yes, these things take time. The key is to manage my expectations and focus on the fact that I am still getting work done. Even if I only manage 500 words a day (which is still a good amount for anyone, and sometimes I don’t do that much), I can churn out a novel within a year. As much as I would like to check whole novels and series off my to-do-list, I know I don’t have to rush. As long as I keep the promise to myself to write at least a bit every day, I can finish a project. The story wants to be told, and I’m just the instrument. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Just like every writer that ever lived, I’ve got insecurities when it comes to my writing. Those manifest in things like fear of blank pages or unwillingness to write out of order or frustration at apparent lack of progress. All these things are merely my own brain creating convenient excuses not to write. It’s a matter of overcoming my own self-doubt and keeping my hands on my keyboard. </span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sometimes, you just have to take a leap of faith and start writing. Even if it is bad, you still get words on the page. </span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-74507766508813216982021-04-05T00:00:00.035-06:002021-04-06T18:33:27.622-06:00Hurdles IV - A Personal Insight into Writing by Robin James<p><span style="text-indent: 12.51mm;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMjO2ZovpUNh_xc46d_Lt5brouVUM9Xk6BfxGg2GIgSbiACyMXYsKi0g6POY5MNEXROpg3b8cWldf16DYTNUOa18nR6e9C1Xjszqi6lm953eYOSlc5CnlH2bhil70nhHwHHoEiLHosxMs/s2048/typewriter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMjO2ZovpUNh_xc46d_Lt5brouVUM9Xk6BfxGg2GIgSbiACyMXYsKi0g6POY5MNEXROpg3b8cWldf16DYTNUOa18nR6e9C1Xjszqi6lm953eYOSlc5CnlH2bhil70nhHwHHoEiLHosxMs/w400-h266/typewriter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span><p><span style="text-indent: 12.51mm;"><span><br /></span></span></p> </span>While writing this post about what obstacles get in my way of writing, I was blocked by those very same obstacles. Because they were in my path, I could examine them fairly easily.<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Motivation ranks high and masks all other blocks to writing. I could clear my day, have my notes ready, and still end up staring at my laptop screen until it goes to sleep. Why can't I simply type out the ideas crammed in my head? I've carved out time in my day, I've got hastily written notes everywhere, writing should be easy. Never mind that my brain felt like a hurricane ripped through the filing department and left papers everywhere.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span> </span>This scatterbrained feeling had an easy fix: eat breakfast.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>After some trial and error, I learned that something fatty and laden with protein worked best. Other foods like fruit, cereal, or toast only sustain me long enough to get dressed. I needed to give my stomach something to do for a longer period. So, eggs cooked in a small puddle of butter won out. A pleasant side effect of a full stomach is a clear and focused mind. Good food fuels good brain activity, who knew?<br />Now that I've cleared my mind of the clanging bells of starvation, I can sit down to write, right?<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Wrong.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Another obstacle leaped onto the path and blocked the way. This one was much more frustrating. I'll sit in front of my laptop, ideas swirling in my head, and as soon as my fingers hit the keys my mind goes completely blank. Thanks, brain.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This one was harder to work around. To make matters worse, it was intermittent. Sometimes I'll pound out 3,000 words in the blink of an eye. Other times I'm shocked to learn I only typed 150 after several hours of agonizing word selection.<br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span> </span>This is probably mental illness,</i> I thought one day as the laptop went dark again.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>To be fair here, I have a nice bouquet of mental illnesses. I've learned that some of them require medication and others need to be managed. None are cured, not ever, so at least that part's consistent. Recognizing which one is getting in my way can be a hassle though.<br />Sometimes I need earplugs to block out every sound except my own heartbeat. Even the tiniest swoosh of a car driving by outside, or a woodpecker hammering away on the power pole, or the creak of the house as it shifts with the wind, will grab my attention and not let go. Earplugs narrow my focus immediately. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then, when the only noise is the roaring rush inside my head, I take a few deep breaths until the clamour falls away like leaves from a tree on a still, chilly autumn morning. Now, finally, I can translate the images from my head into words.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Once I mastered the art of blocking out the external world – sometimes by blindfolding myself in addition to earplugs – I realized I needed a goal. Something where I can feel like a success which in turn will carry to the next day's writing session. Daily word count seemed to work for many, so I chose ten a day.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This is a trick, one that my brain is aware of but still reacts positively towards. Ten words is nothing, it's a mid-sized sentence. It's a description of a garden, a cat's purr, or a child's laughter on a bright summer afternoon. It's a fix-it sentence to make the paragraph clearer, it's an added line of dialogue, it's the infusion of emotion into a scene.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>But it's also a start. Ten words is an easy goal to attain, a simple one to leap past. Ten words opens the floodgates in my mind and pours more words through my fingers. Ten words is also a place to stop when I can barely think, barely function, barely conjure up a phrase worth noting.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>So I figured out that my body needs food for my brain to work, distractions must be be banished, and easily attainable goals to get going. Now I can focus on corralling anxiety.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This shrill witch sits in every corner of every room, slips into every shadow, and grips my belly for its own stability. Anxiety doesn't whisper, it shrieks, but only at a volume I can hear. It's voice twists my gut, freezes my skin, and sends electricity through my veins.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Two solutions exist for me.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>The first is to either go for a walk or stretch. Anxiety is a physical sensation, causing a fight/fight/freeze sensation. So a physical response is sometimes needed. Sometimes this helps and I can get on with my day. Other times, well, I talk to it.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>For every scream, I have a calm counter. Nobody will like my book? A few people will. I'll be judged harshly? No worse than what I've endured to date. I'll get horrible reviews? Yes, very possibly. And some good ones too, I hope.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This is a hack I learned young. Rather than allow the anxiety to berate me into immobility, I answer all the questions raises. If there is an answer, that means there's a solution, which means I can take steps to solving the problem. A lot of questions begin with “What if,” and so the best answer is, “Then this”.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>With anxiety wrangled into submission, or at least down to a dull roar, I realized that consistency breeds success in my life. I can set a routine for anything and keep the routine long after I've given it any thought. This can be good, but also dangerous. It's easy to set up a routine to eat chocolate while parked on the couch and staring at the television. I can do this once or twice and it becomes something I did for five, ten, fifteen years.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Setting up routines for difficult activities is much harder.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I love writing so much. But writing is hard. It takes effort. A <i>lot</i> of effort. Sort of like exercising. I like going for a walk, but it's hard to get motivated to do it when it's bitterly cold outside. Writing is similar. I enjoy it, but it's hard to get motivated when the idea pool is a dust bowl.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>So, a routine needed to be created. After my preset morning routine, I sit down at the laptop and write. Only ten words, yes, but still, I sit down at the same time every day, like a job.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>The more I thought of writing as a job, the more successful I was at keeping the routine. I'm hardwired to want to complete tasks for rewards but learned I need an external boss to keep me in check. So I made myself the boss of me and issued a command: write on workdays, write until the goal is achieved, write nonsense if necessary.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Ah yes, on to the next obstacle: writer's block. This is more accurately described as 'creative block' as any person creating anything is occasionally blocked. Not knowing what to write will cause me to stare into space and daydream the hours away.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>But daydreaming isn't conducive to completing a novel. It has its place, yes, but not if it's writing time. So I occasionally write nonsense. I'll describe the unrelenting whir of the space heater, or describe a previous coworker as if they're a character in a book. Maybe write stream of consciousness posts, or what I ate for dinner last night. Anything, really, just nonsense. But none of it counts toward my word count. <span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>That goal is specific to the novel I'm writing.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>So after some nonsense to unlock the words, I'll wrap it up and immediately dive into writing my book. Words are already flowing by that point, all I need to do is choose the right ones in the right order to move my story along.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>None of the above will banish the obstacles. Nothing ever will. If one disappears another will take its place because nature abhors a void. But at least I can diminish the blocks so I can hop over them instead of trip and fall into them.</div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-3155441631602202992021-03-29T00:00:00.040-06:002021-03-29T00:00:01.432-06:00Hurdles III - A Personal Insight into Writing by Howard Gibbins<p> What hampers me is a big question, and one that isn't easily explained. Some people might simply say I procrastinate a lot, however, for the most part this isn't the case. Although, considering the amount of time I actually take to write a story I can see their point. One of the main things that slows me down, other than the fact I work in a job I really enjoy, and have a life away from a computer screen is that I like reading. This reading leads to me writing book reviews, which I publish every Monday on my <a href="https://northern-rambler.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Northern-Rambler</a> blog. I do my best to alternate between fiction and non-fiction each week. I also try an review not only new books, but ones that people might have forgotten about from years ago.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkATuJb90tv5FJjnM4ZzqAdSEYlWRXxeMRD8_PrIqrGYY67JEF3g0FocpqJnUSIRoM3Pd1kSqolghnhPU16KQhY-Sq0RYXvkEfNQVqhTAecg2QknipvrMVxjosXIvnbY-u2bqdr9oOT6L/s4896/073014Mus-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3268" data-original-width="4896" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkATuJb90tv5FJjnM4ZzqAdSEYlWRXxeMRD8_PrIqrGYY67JEF3g0FocpqJnUSIRoM3Pd1kSqolghnhPU16KQhY-Sq0RYXvkEfNQVqhTAecg2QknipvrMVxjosXIvnbY-u2bqdr9oOT6L/s320/073014Mus-36.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> However, that being said one of the major things that hampers me down is plotting the story out as I enjoy reading a story that makes me think. Many people have given advice to beginning writers over the years, but one of the main points they all seem to agree upon is to write what you like to read, therefore I intentionally try and make my plots rather complicated. I realise that this means I will likely lose some readers, but then again I'm also pretty sure that once the word is out that it will gain me some as well. I'm not our to entertain people who read the classic comics versions of books and therefore scraped their way through high school. I am trying to appeal to people who like a good story.</p><p> Plotting a story in this manner however, does have its drawbacks in that not only does it slow you down because you have to keep decent notes to know what is happening, when it happened, and why but unless you are extremely familiar with the subject matter (i.e., you live it day-to-day) you'll have to do something called research - sometimes a lot of research. By research though I don't just mean looking something up on Wikipedia either, granted I've done this, but it is rare that this service will answer all of your questions about a given topic. In fact, I'd say at least eighty percent of the time it will lead to more questions, which is generally why if I use Wikipedia, that the first thing I do after scanning the article is to zip down to the bottom and look at the references - and the more of these the better it is, and also for the most part the more you'll be able to trust the Wikipedia entry! On this same not if I want to put a scene or scenes in about something I know nothing about, then this will lead to even more research.</p><p> Another drawback to this process is of course that you have to make everything fit logically. If say for instance in chapter 1 you have a person stranded on a deserted island with nothing but a penknife, they sure aren't going to be able to do much (a pen knife might cut through the stem of a coconut, assuming you have a handy coconut palm, and can climb it) but it isn't going to help you much, and if you suddenly have the character pull a tinderbox out in chapter 10. This is the kind of writing that causes books to be put in the gash bin.</p><p> A semi-relevant example of this is that I started a story a number of years ago about what happens to some people who are stranded on an alien world. This led me to write a story about how they discovered the technology to get there, another about developing and extending that technology, and two more about why they left Earth to begin with. So five stories out of one idea, pretty good payback I figure.</p><p> So yeah, I am hampered in my writing, and because of that I write slow, but hey who cares! I'm not out to compete with anyone!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-14960490231027462222021-03-22T12:12:00.004-06:002021-03-22T12:12:03.534-06:00Hurdles II - A Personal Insight into Writing by Patricia Lloyd<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; text-indent: 36px;"><span> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZklt7R6uzGGeZwG1CyXOMUZNZsUcCEDsoryaNigBBEmFJgKZ4v30ieRlIYQXQJxjkoI0FLZ6bSP6ElbIIUJQME00DPUr-WKCECB7xGdyImYoURdl5reGQWSL1Ryl71Eth-hSS4t5Wzbt/s2048/Pat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZklt7R6uzGGeZwG1CyXOMUZNZsUcCEDsoryaNigBBEmFJgKZ4v30ieRlIYQXQJxjkoI0FLZ6bSP6ElbIIUJQME00DPUr-WKCECB7xGdyImYoURdl5reGQWSL1Ryl71Eth-hSS4t5Wzbt/s320/Pat.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;">Writing can be such a daunting process. You come up with an idea, figure out where you want to go with it, and get down to the actual business of writing. And then the doorbell rings, or the dog needs to go out, or supper needs to be started. What gets in the way of my writing? Life. Life gets in the way but I’ve learned that I can write anyway.<span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"><span> </span>I’ve heard people say you should write a little bit every day and I tried that. It just didn’t work for me. I would miss a day or two and feel guilty. I’d mentally beat myself up because I didn’t stick to the plan. But feeling guilty isn’t a very good use of my time either. Instead I chose one evening a week as my writing time. I’m fortunate to have a separate room for my writing so when a family member sees me tapping away at the keyboard, they leave me to my writing. But even so, life gets in the way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"><span> </span>Sometimes I’m tired because I didn’t sleep well the night before and I have trouble concentrating. If I have a headache, it’s hard to focus on the computer screen. When my back hurts, it’s difficult to sit still. Getting older has its perks but it comes with some challenges too. But overall, the decision to have one night set aside as my writing time works the best for me. It isn’t foolproof but it’s certainly better.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"><span> </span>My husband and I decided to volunteer with a local animal rescue and foster puppies. Well guess what happened? For the year that we fostered, I did very little writing because puppies are a lot of work. After almost a year and 20-some puppies, we made the difficult decision to stop fostering. It felt wonderful to help out, and puppy kisses make up for a lot of missed sleep but I wanted to write so something had to change.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"> <span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"><span> </span>When I made my writing a priority instead of an afterthought, it was easier to ignore the daily hiccups that life throws my way. I gave myself permission to focus on what I really wanted and I’m playing the long game now. I plan ahead. I shut off my phone. I ask people not to interrupt me.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"> I feel good about my writing plan and that helps me enjoy life after I’ve saved my story and shut the computer down for the night.</span></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-8475873755768197922021-03-15T00:00:00.017-06:002021-03-15T20:08:45.185-06:00Hurdles I - A Personal Insight into Writing by Dave Kendrick<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: 36px;"></span><span> </span>When asked by Howard during the January writers’ meeting to write a blog on what prevented me from finishing my writing, I was not sure on how to go about it. It was scary and overwhelming because I did not have any experience in writing a blog prior to now. The only knowledge of blogs that I had was from reading my friend Colleen’s blog. I procrastinated at the start, which is one of things that prevented me from writing before I dove into the project. Some of the other factors that prevented me from finishing my writing were writers block, negative feedback and being busy with work and family. I needed to complete some research on the issue and then I remembered a book I had purchased eight year ago. Silencing Your Inner Saboteur by Sherry Peters was my inspiration for this blog. I highly recommend this book to those struggling to write or finish their writing projects.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBPhRtUvsHL2zkSKLgYSkbK3rcPr7tQCEcC-jA5mxm4d972RDPKdjvzmrh2NKw2vzoCNEJlsH21JcQJ9AGIuMGP2DUWTeVCw3rAL7epj0_B8xmFWObGhpPOVQEsuN1cemuDyFhV80vKUy/s1503/Dave.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="1266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBPhRtUvsHL2zkSKLgYSkbK3rcPr7tQCEcC-jA5mxm4d972RDPKdjvzmrh2NKw2vzoCNEJlsH21JcQJ9AGIuMGP2DUWTeVCw3rAL7epj0_B8xmFWObGhpPOVQEsuN1cemuDyFhV80vKUy/w169-h200/Dave.jpeg" width="169" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span> </span>Before going into depth regarding the book, I think it is important to give you about of idea on my writing experiences and why my writing suffered over the years and I was unable to finish it. I have been writing on and off since I was about 14 after I attended my first writers’ seminar. Since then, I considered it a hobby and did not think much of it. I did not even hang on to the work that I completed at the conference.</div><div>The next major inspiration was in my English 23 class. I was asked to write a short mystery story that was less than two pages. This was prior to my high school Myers-Briggs assessment to determine which career path I would succeed at.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>I was recommended to pursue the fields of broadcasting, writer or some level of law enforcement. Throughout my career life thus far, I have followed all three of these career paths. My hobby grew as I discovered I had some talent while I temporarily moved into my grandparents’ place to help my grandmother while my grandfather was in the hospital.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>My grandmother was a lot like my fiancée. They both went to bed early and rose early, which gave me an opportunity to get more writing done. I continued to try and extend the story that I started in English 23; However, I struggled to add any sustenance to my novel. I did not know at the time that I was hurting and sabotaging my own work.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>I attended NAIT in 2003 to upgrade my high school marks by taking more advanced English classes and it paid off. Shortly after upgrading, I was accepted to the broadcasting program at the Canadian School of Modern Broadcasting. At this point, I was attending school five days a week and working evenings and weekends on the side.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>My novel writing was put on the back burner as I focused on my schoolwork. After completing my post secondary, I started a job at a radio station as a copy writer (writing the ads for the radio station). I thought it was awesome to be a professional writer in the radio industry. The downside to working in this position was that the pay was not sufficient. This led to a career change. I would be finding that after writing all day at work, I would not have the desire to write any more in the evening.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Shortly after leaving the radio station, I started work as a security officer working 12-hour days. During this time, my writing took a major hit as I was exhausted after a day of work and writing reports all shift from 2007 to 2019. If I had taken proper breaks, gotten proper sleep and set some realistic goals for myself, then my writing could have been easier. After being off work since late 2019 due to medical reasons and COVID and missing the writers’ group, I decided to try my hand at writing again. I rejoined the writers’ group in January 2021 and have rediscovered my passion.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>I bought the book mentioned near the beginning at the When the Words Collide three-day conference in Calgary. For those who have not attended this conference, I highly recommend attending it. It is a great place to network and take work shops. At the conference, I attended the author Sherry Peters seminar and purchased her book. Once home, I attempted to read it but was struggling to read it as my focus was not there. After Howard suggested I create this blog, I decided to read the book again for the third time.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>The third time around was the charm. I found the book was describing me to a tee and it was inspiring me. It allowed me to pinpoint the errors in my writing and the reasons I was procrastinating with my writing. I realized that I was sabotaging my own writing which I come by naturally and self inflict on myself. I naturally struggle because I have ADD and learning challenges which cause me to procrastinate. By struggling with ADD, I must focus three or four times harder on a task.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Throughout the years, I have learned to focus more using some of the tools I have learned throughout courses and my own personal growth. However, when fatigued, I have more trouble with focus. I find myself still making excuses for not writing; However, I am working towards bettering myself.</div><div>After reading this book, I realized that friends, family and my teachers also contributed to my procrastination with writing. When I asked them to proof my writing, I was met with only negative reactions like correcting my grammar and punctuation. It created self doubt and discouragement that my writing will never be good enough. The book examined the root of the problems and provided me with solutions to better my writing.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Even though I struggle with ADD and burnt out, I want to focus on the positive that I have learned from this book. I have used the criticism over my writing career and have used it to become a better writer. I see this now.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>If not for my dad, I would not have become a stronger writer. He would get irritated at me for not listening when he had some sound advice. He taught me how to push myself more in life. It included meeting and networking with people like at the Edmonton Writers Group. This pushed me to take harder classes in school and allowed me to choose the career paths that I chosen. In the future, it will assist me as I continue my journey as a writer.</div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-9996174088386504352021-03-08T00:00:00.016-07:002021-03-08T00:00:03.380-07:00Inspirations X - A Personal Insight into Writing by M.L. Kulmatycki<p><span> </span>When I saw the topic for the EWG’s first blog topic, I thought, great. Nice and simple. Until I started to write. I drew a blank. I didn’t have a clue what inspires me to write. I’ve written in many genres, from academic writing to the romance story in the EWG’s current anthology, All Mapped Out, and realized that there were vastly different reasons why I wrote each piece. My seniors’ advice column in a local newspaper that I wrote several years ago was responding to a need voiced by seniors in our community. With contract work, I was hired to research and write on a specific topic. The four anthologies published by the EWG each followed a theme. But each project required a different creative angle that would drive the work. What was is that inspired me to take each project in the direction I chose?</p><p><span> </span>With the clock ticking on the date I promised to submit the post and absolutely no ideas, I took the obvious course of action. Procrastination. And dived headfirst into researching what inspires my three favourite authors. </p><p><span> </span>I started my research with Stephen King. If you haven’t read his book, On Writing, I would suggest you do so. I love the twists and turns that King throws into his stories. If you’re wondering how he plots a story; he doesn’t. He focuses on characters in a unique situation. But how does he come up with these unique situations? On his website, King states it is more often looking at a different way two things could interact and then asking that all-important question, What if? </p><p><span> </span>As a writer drawn to using the first person, Dan Abnett, comic book writer and novelist, was next on my list. His Eisenhorn series is a brilliant example of how to use first person. Inspiration for his work doesn’t come from a single source. He is in tune with everything around him. The initial idea and framework for much of his work might come from his publishers, but it’s Abnett’s spontaneous ideas that boost the story to the next level. Those of you who scoff at roleplay games may want to give it a try. Abnett attributes his ability to quickly generate ideas and plots to his role of Dungeon Master as a child. </p><p><span> </span>If you haven’t discovered romance writer Nora Roberts’ blog, Fall Into the Story, you definitely need to check it out. Romance fiction has changed over the years and it’s Roberts that is one of the driving forces behind this change. Her books feature strong, independent woman focused on interesting careers rather than marriage. When asked in an interview what inspires her, Roberts, who also writes as JD Robb, replied that she doesn’t rely on inspiration and couldn’t identify the impetus for an idea. In fact, she doesn’t spend a lot of time on planning it all out, she just writes. </p><p><span> </span>You’re probably wondering why these three writers who work in distinctly different genres could be my three favourite writers. I like the way they write. The words they choose, the images they create, the way they structure their sentences. It all speaks to me. And, yes, I have re-read and re-read my personal favourites of each writer. All three authors are uber-prolific and can’t imagine doing anything other than writing. They also don’t seem very worried about what inspires them to write. They simply rely on their skill as writers to use spontaneous ideas to move the story in unexpected, interesting directions. </p><p><span> </span>Clock ticking, I had even more respect for these three writers, but no idea what inspires me to write. As I re-read what I had written, I realized it isn’t important where I find my ideas. It is these three writers that inspire me to write. I want to write as well as they do. I want to be able to write words that speak to my reader. As Samuel Johnson said, "A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it".</p><p><a href="MLKulmatycki.com " target="_blank">MLKulmatycki.com </a></p><div><br /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-64248822709824250472021-03-01T00:00:00.143-07:002021-03-01T20:59:48.781-07:00Inspirations IX - A Personal Insight into Writing by Howard Gibbins<p><span> </span>When asked this question (in this case I was talking to myself as I'm the person that posts these things to the blog) I didn't get much of an answer. So I tried again, and eventually I began to figure out that it is life itself that inspires me. Not everything, thank goodness, but enough to keep me busy. The majority of my work has something of a science fiction element in it, but in some cases this is subtle. Part of the reason I choose this genre is so I have the freedom to extrapolate my ideas, and I'm not constrained by certain things. I am very interested in history, but don't really want to write about it at this point, however the intersection of science fiction and history is one thing that does interest me. For example if a time traveller goes back to the 1300s in Europe (or any other time for that matter) how are they able to survive as the Black Plague (mid 1300s), or better yet how do they stop from infecting the people wherever they go with our bugs?</p><p><span> </span>If I examine some of the various things that get me interested in a story it seems to come down to a couple of different things:</p><p><span> </span>My main influence likely stems from my training in anthropology, as well as my early readings of such authors as Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and others. It can probably be loosely classified futurism, as I'm interested in what would happen if a certain thing or things in today's world were to take place in the future (near or far)? Tangled in with this category is how would society as a whole, and individual cultures possibly be effected in a given amount of time if an certain event were to take place? In addition how would the cascade effect of a change (big or small) continue into the future (if it does).</p><p><span> An example might be in order. What would happen if a space ship were to appear in orbit around earth? Well, if you believe the generic stuff from Hollywood, then everyone world wide would naturally assume we are being invaded, and would likely start shooting. If we avoid that however, how would we communicate with them? Could they breath the atmosphere on Earth, etc.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> How about another outcome looking at the the social aspects of the above scenario: If a ship of some kind were to appear in Earth orbit, this would pretty much automatically nullify a number of the contemporary religions that are practised in the world today, as they are geared toward humans being special.</span></span></p><p><span><span> Additionally, </span>I also like a good mystery, and really enjoy making the reader think about the story and what's going on. However, I believe in the traditional definition of science fiction, that generally says science fiction should be fiction that is based in science as we know it. This therefore pretty much guarantees that I won't ever be able to write a fantasy story (e.g., swords and sorcery) as I doubt I could make it even semi-believable.</span></p><p><span> </span>The other category is kind of a catch-all as it encompasses things that a person or more typically that people as a group do, but I can't fathom why they do it. Now I'm not talking about things they know how to do because they were trained to do them, after all I'd love to know what's it's like to fly a jet fighter, but I'm a little old to be enlisting in the airforce. So to make this a little clearer: Why do a certain groups of people (size seems to be irrelevant) do or believe certain things. For example: dinosaurs are not real (yes, that is in the present tense for a reason, as all birds are dinosaurs), deny that evolution happened, believe the world is flat, that it's only 6000 years old, we are alone in the universe, that aliens built the pyramids, etc, ad nauseam.</p><p><span> </span>When I look at this topic broadly it guess it is safe to say I'm interested in people, as well as society and culture, how these things influence people, and how they react to them, and what could/would have been the consequences if they had reacted differently.</p><p><br /></p>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661017298692970144.post-76553893518640792272021-02-22T00:00:00.054-07:002021-02-22T00:00:04.597-07:00Inspirations VIII - A Personal Insight into Writing by Anita Reff<div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;">Why write? </span></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-352f70b8-7fff-a2f6-62f6-9462b9af52ad"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>As far back as I can remember I’ve been driven by creativity. But not just a, ‘gee it’s fun to be creative’, kind of thing. I have a genuine </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">need</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to be creative. To have an outlet. Without it, I think I might explode.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span id="docs-internal-guid-352f70b8-7fff-a2f6-62f6-9462b9af52ad"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>As a child I remember being incredibly shy. I also remember having an imagination that sometimes blurred the lines between make believe and reality. My mind took me to incredible places and I would swear to this day that as a child I could fly. I have vivid memories of me weightlessly floating in the sky. Effortlessly moving around the yard and watching the world below. If I close my eyes, I can go back there. See the world from above. Watch parts of my life unfold like a movie, seen from a vantage point overhead. It was a gift. </span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEccJ5-VDaYoT657t2hm8rrA7BPYvec5yVfuWuiJBWThCBeKiObbQDarBTyFr05ZhHPLUqrO3WkW0TfOo4V4YFuBg11jjjyVUot23w9yMIlMei7rEqNv98wUVQxgR79H_4AfX-RJfT8Br/s1038/2018-12-13-521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1038" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEccJ5-VDaYoT657t2hm8rrA7BPYvec5yVfuWuiJBWThCBeKiObbQDarBTyFr05ZhHPLUqrO3WkW0TfOo4V4YFuBg11jjjyVUot23w9yMIlMei7rEqNv98wUVQxgR79H_4AfX-RJfT8Br/w200-h198/2018-12-13-521.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-352f70b8-7fff-a2f6-62f6-9462b9af52ad"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>But was it real? </span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-352f70b8-7fff-a2f6-62f6-9462b9af52ad"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>At the end of the day it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it opened my mind and it gave me my first creative outlet. It was like a release valve in my head that allowed me to blow off trapped steam in my brain. It allowed me to achieve a state of equilibrium. It allowed me to function. </span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-352f70b8-7fff-a2f6-62f6-9462b9af52ad"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-352f70b8-7fff-a2f6-62f6-9462b9af52ad"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>Throughout most of my life I have been drawn to anything that allowed me to ‘release the valve’. As a child I developed a love of singing, physically forcing air out of my body and making, if only occasionally, something that was pleasant to listen to. In 1973 the movie </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus Christ Superstar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was released and gave birth to my intense love of musical theatre. I listened to the soundtrack ad nauseum, likely driving everyone else crazy. I sang every part, Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalen, even the high priests. To this day I know every word of that soundtrack. Singing those songs at the top of my lungs, playing each of the characters, helped me to release emotions that were trapped inside of me. The intensity of it all tormented me and at the same time brought me more joy than I could bear. The angst of being a pre-teen. The need to fit in. The fear that you never will. The inability to express all the emotions that get bottled up inside. Music became my best friend. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>But if music brought me joy, theatre brought me euphoria. </span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzph_9J7j9-fD56R77xrnddUGnUwBxKJDSirv9EMafIZncslGJS6E_TA4TFT8y1PtgZcrUl9wqi5X5J5Z4eW38gdsWJ3h126qx6T-Mli49aZiDCY1ZKTBPWNdkaykHANCCnuRjC99l3dI3/s1746/2018-12-13-054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1746" data-original-width="1190" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzph_9J7j9-fD56R77xrnddUGnUwBxKJDSirv9EMafIZncslGJS6E_TA4TFT8y1PtgZcrUl9wqi5X5J5Z4eW38gdsWJ3h126qx6T-Mli49aZiDCY1ZKTBPWNdkaykHANCCnuRjC99l3dI3/s320/2018-12-13-054.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>Embodying a character. Wrapping myself up in someone else's skin. Becoming that person, if just temporarily. Expressing things that I could never express as me. Having permission to feel things I couldn’t allow the real me to indulge in. It was excruciatingly beautiful to be someone, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">anyone</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but me. </span><span><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>Imagine feeling love as Juliet, desperation as </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire or the naked insecurity of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. The absolute privilege of stepping into someone else’s shoes, even if they were fictional, and exploring their innermost thoughts and feelings. Most importantly, coming out the other end a fuller, more complete version of you for having had the experience. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>That is why I write. </span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-260e6930-7fff-188d-53f6-d3ee7f0625dc"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>As a writer I get to take off my clothes and roll around in someone else’s life, a life that I also get to create. I get to escape my world and become the very definition of empathic. What could be more magical? More worthwhile? More </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cathartic</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">? </span></div><div><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-1c4d3d6d-7fff-e5e9-6167-249b2a6a0069"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1R8-jbv3xM-qH-ohXl5s7SGNPr8h_oM4pGJkMeaFzagkhirN4viMIUQCbOnH6IVBpqJJ6-pvSb2oUhxH5ucb6hXWa-CCiirHj2B5Z7HFztFs1sMN2z1wej6U3ZdE-356g1rCWkx4aKMe/s2048/2018-12-13-096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1R8-jbv3xM-qH-ohXl5s7SGNPr8h_oM4pGJkMeaFzagkhirN4viMIUQCbOnH6IVBpqJJ6-pvSb2oUhxH5ucb6hXWa-CCiirHj2B5Z7HFztFs1sMN2z1wej6U3ZdE-356g1rCWkx4aKMe/s320/2018-12-13-096.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Howard Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975714295148969227noreply@blogger.com0