Category Archives: Writing

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

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Reasons to Write

By Rory C. Keel

Why do I write? Is it because throngs of fans demand it, anticipating every word of my next masterpiece? Is it because I honestly expect to make millions of dollars on a bestseller, or desire to be famous? No.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Endless Possibilities                                                    

On a recent business trip to the west coast, I noticed something amazing. Traveling along the highway, I read the billboards. Some of them knew I was reading them and said things like, “Caught you looking!” or “You’re so good. You read me like a book!” As spots on a connect-the-dots drawing, these towering advertisements had information about the grandest hotels, motels and the cleanest restrooms. They pointed the way to the best buffets and restaurants. Some revealed the places to go for the nightlife, and what it will cost if you drink too much of the highlife and turn into a lowlife while driving.

Occasionally we pulled into roadside rest-stops for short breaks and “free coffee,” and then we would load up on all the local vacation magazines, free maps and tourist information to read along the way. One visitor’s guide said that Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state in the nation—and they’re a land locked desert!

My point is that the possibilities for writers are endless because writing is everywhere. From billboards along the American road to epic novels, behind everything you read is a writer.

roryckeel.com

Goal Setting for Writers

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Goal Setting for Writers

By Natalie Bright

 

Happy New Year!

A New Year-A New Start

It’s a new year which means it’s time to think about your writing career and where you’d like to be professionally in twelve months from now.

For writers, I think visuals are important. Keeping logs on word count or article submissions provides a tangible, measurable accomplishment. Putting pen to paper is only part of the business of writing. Think about promotional and social media goals as well.

Be establishing long term goals, you are able to visualize the big picture of what you hope to achieve.  Can you see yourself as a successful, published author?

Goal Setting Worksheet

Our critique group uses a worksheet. Make your goals simple and specific, things that you can actually visualize yourself achieving. Making the New York Times Bestselling list is probably not realistic if you’re a beginning writer, however it’s a goal that is achievable in the long term.

3 in 24:

Finding time to write is something I struggle with every single day. No, the entire universe did not come together to prevent you from putting words on a page, but it sure seems that way. Identify 3 times in a 24-hour period to Write, and do it.

For example:

1. Wake-up one hour early and write.

2. Skip lunch with coworkers and write only new words on WIP Monday-Thursday.

3. Stay up late at least one hour on Friday, Sat., and Sun. to work on edits or blogs.

Study your list. Can you visualize yourself actually accomplishing these tasks? Can you see yourself with pen in hand or typing at the keyboard at the times and places you’ve chosen? Setting achievable goals equals success.

Realistic Attainable Goals:

Make a list of at least four goals you hope to accomplish within the next year.

Achievable goals would be defined as something you can definitely complete, to measure your progress and give you a sense of accomplishment that your writing career is moving forward. This could be things like writing and polishing an entry for a contest, or completing a submission for an anthology. Be specific; what contest? Don’t know of any? Find one and list it on your goals sheet.

Dreaming Big

Add to your worksheet one “dream big” goal. List something you hope to achieve that seems totally impossible. Go ahead and put the “NYT Bestselling list” here if that’s what you want more than anything.

Expect the Unexpected

Keep an open mind to opportunities that might come your way in the new year that you never expected. Sometimes saying yes opens doors to bigger and better things.  So I didn’t win a SPUR award this year, however I did gain a few publishing credits along with finishing another middle grade novel. All in all it was a productive year, which leaves me with only one option—work even harder in 2014.

What about you? Please tell us about your successes this past year.

Thank You

Write, submit, onward we go! Good luck and Happy New Years, and thanks to all of you who have followed Wordsmith Six during the past year. We really appreciate you.

Sending out our best wishes that you achieve your writing goals in 2014!

Holiday Blessings

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Holiday Blessings

By Nandy Ekle

We love our relatives–our mothers, fathers, siblings, in-laws, out-laws, and everyone in between.  Each family is as unique as the individuals that make it up. No two families are alike. And that’s what makes our holiday times special.

Most of our family members are pure gold and we can’t wait to be with them. We feel so warm and comfortable with them and hate when the time comes to go our separate ways again. There are other members of our family who . . . well, we shake our heads and wonder if our genes actually match.

But I learned something a few years ago. After a fairly stressful year, a new job, a few changes in the dynamics of my immediate family, and an injury–the holidays felt more like impending doom than fun and joy. I slipped away into my own world and read a book (don’t even remember which book) and I found the answer to my holiday joylessness.

If I could change my attitude, I was sure I would find a way to enjoy the whole yuletide process. I knew the people I would be around, I knew that I love them and would do anything for them. And that’s when it dawned on me. I would be in a goldmine. I would be surrounded by characters and stories that I could embellish like a Christmas tree.

And boom! There it was! I was suddenly excited about the holidays.

I repeat, I love every single member of my family, the ones I’ve known my whole entire life, the ones who have joined us over the years, and the newest ones. The thought of spending time with the whole crazy bunch thrills me. There is always fun and laughter, joy and love. And through it all, the muse sits on my shoulder taking notes.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Legends

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Outtakes 127

 

Legends

By Cait Collins

 It’s New Year’s Eve and I have not dedecked the halls. I always keep the house decorated until January 1st. Why? According to legend, removing Christmas decorations before January 1st is bad luck. Who wants to start a new year with a bad omen hanging over them? So tomorrow morning, I will take down the tree; pack the wreaths and the holiday dishes and linens. Everything will be safely stored in air-tight boxes until next December.

Legends are fun. They give glimpses into other cultures. They can be the basis for a story or a novel. Some years ago, my husband and I visited Santa Fe, New Mexico. In one of the shops I found a beaded lizard pin. Attached to the card was a legend. The lizard is sacred. Care for him and he will become your protector. If you are threatened, the lizard will turn into a dragon and devour the aggressor. I used this legend as the basis of an early novel.

Think of all the possibilities for inspiration. Celtic legends and lore have wonderful potential. Think silkies.  Greek and Roman mythology have inspired books, movies, and television series. Then there are the stories of the Old West like the Lost Dutchman Mine. When the creative juices are running dry, check out legends. A little research could spark an idea that leads to a best seller or a hit movie.

I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2014. And don’t forget to eat your black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Legend is for every pea you leave on your plate, you will have a week of bad luck.

It’s Never The End

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It’s Never The End

By Natalie Bright

I typed THE END several weeks ago on a middle grade novel set in pre-civil war Texas. The spark happened years ago from my Uncle Milas telling me about my grandfather Cline’s adventures in Fort Towson, Oklahoma when he was a pre-teen. His best friend was Indian Joe, a full blood Cherokee. My grandfather describes that time as the best years of his life hunting, fishing, and exploring the wilds of the Kiamichi River area. He remembers the day he told his best friend they were moving to Texas. Indian Joe beat him to a bloody pulp. My grandfather asked him, “Why’d you do that for?”. Indian Joe replied, “You’ll never forget me now.” How can you not love those two characters?

As I thought about my grandfather and Indian Joe, the idea for a lower middle grade high-adventure along the lines of Jack and Annie series came to mind. The characters were a white kid and a Comanche kid, brought up to be enemies, but becoming friends. Oh the adventures they could find. I started writing, but what I just typed THE END on the first of this month is nothing like the story I had imagined a year ago. The characters took me along a totally different path.

The book was helped along by my brilliant Wordsmith Six critique partners and is now in the capable hands a small group of Beta readers before going to my brilliant agent. From there, with his insight and expertise, I hope it finds a home someday.

Do you have tunnel vision in the outline you’ve created for your work in progress? Don’t ignore all of the possibilities for your story. It may take you in a direction you’ve never even thought about before. So, in other words, it’s never really the end. This process continues on and on and on.

Happy Writing!

N. Bright

nataliebright.com

 

William Faulkner

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“It is the writer’s privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart.”

William Faulkner

by Sharon Stevens

 This last August as I was putting books on the shelf for the fall semester at WTAMU I came across the textbook, “History of Women In America” by Janet Coryell, required in Professor Jean Stuntz’s history class. Since it was a used text I thumbed through it and came across the radio speech First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt gave on the eve of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

I can only imagine how the speech writers must have scrambled franticly for just the right words that day to set the tone for the wife of the president. How Mrs. Roosevelt herself must have agonized as she trembled within to address all those who would listen to her voice, the emotion she knew she must convey. I wonder as well what copy the sponsor, The Pan American Coffee Bureau, had to toss out in support of the history unfolding that could very well affect relations with South America.

This history book is no longer on the shelf. It had been bought by a college student four months ago. So instead on the anniversary of the “day that would live in infamy” I Googled and read those words again, and listened to a recording of what Mrs. Roosevelt spoke December 7, 1941. She noted her husband was hard at work conferring with his cabinet, the heads of state, and even to the Ambassador to Japan. In so many words she was telling the nation that he had everything well in hand and to leave the worrying to him, a sentiment at the time. But she didn’t discount the fears of the mothers, the young people, the community. She, or her speech writers, knew she only had a few minutes with which to celebrate the strength of our United States built on one hundred and sixty five years of sacrifice on American soil.

The world couldn’t know that seventy years later you just had to touch a screen or keypad to take you anywhere in the universe you wanted to travel. Within seconds I pulled up a transcript of that moment in time. I listened to the cultured voice of the president’s wife, the strong words of an American soldier, and the light copy of the advertising sponsor. But the message will always remain the same. Year after year anyone can research any moment of any time recorded in history.

I treasure the ability to read, to research, to remember, to write, to memorialize. I celebrate that generations yet to be born will for a thousand, no a million years be able to question and argue history as it unfolds, all the while looking back on the past as it impacts our future.

I wonder what key points speech writers will write for the president on that day to commemorate our military and those on the home front at the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. All the while as the American people hold their hands over their hearts as the Star Spangled Banner is played.

The following is an excerpt of Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech.

“…You have friends and families in what has suddenly become a danger zone. You cannot escape anxiety. You cannot escape a clutch of fear at your heart and yet I hope that the certainty of what we have to meet will make you rise above these fears. We must go about our daily business more determined than ever to do the ordinary things as well as we can and when we find a way to do anything more in our communities to help others, to build morale, to give a feeling of security, we must do it. Whatever is asked of us I am sure we can accomplish it.

We are the free and unconquerable people of the United States of America!”

Sharon Stevens

Gifts

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Outtakes 126

 

Gifts

By Cait Collins

 

I don’t know about you, but the last few weeks I’ve been begging people to give me ideas for holiday gifts. More often than not, the response is, “I don’t know.” If it one of the nieces or nephews it’s money or an I Pad. I love to shop for friends and family, but I need hints. I don’t know all the new toys and games, and I definitely cannot shop for clothes for teenage girls. Thank heavens for the kids’ moms and grandmothers. Without them I’d be lost.

Sometimes I feel lost in my writing. I think I’m on the right track but I’m just not confident with my story. But I have been given more than one special gift. I’ll start with five fellow writers who have been such an influence on my life. We meet twice a month to share our work and give and receive critiques. The members of Wordsmith Six never let me down and I hope I never disappoint them. I have Beta readers who take the finished work and give it another set of eyes before submission. And I have great friends and family who encourage and support me. They are the gifts that money cannot buy. I am so thankful I have then.

I hope each of my fellow writers is blessed with the gifts of honest and respectful critique partners. I wish you the gift of encouragement from those you love and respect. They are irreplaceable.

May the holiday season bring you happiness and a new dedication to the written word. I wish you success in 2014.

Stories of Our Youth

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Stories of Our Youth

The Young Adult Genre is comprised of works written for the age group between twelve and eighteen, according to the Young Adult Library Service association (YALSA), which is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

While written for a young audience, many adults also enjoy young adult stories and adventures. The protagonist as well as most of the main characters will usually be close in age, and the stories may deal with any social topic or subject that allows the character to deal with an inner struggle. The young adult genre will show the main character growing as they work to learn important life lessons.

Sub-genres include stories that fall into most other genres such as fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, science-fiction, historical and adventure, with a writing style that appeals to a younger audience.

It has been many years since my childhood, yet even today many of my favorite books are still those from my youth.

Rory C. Keel

roryckeel.com

Sparks, Words, and Longfellow

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Sparks, Words, and Longfellow

by Natalie Bright

 

Longfellow’s Sorrow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem sparked from the depths of his soul on December 25, 1864.

Just three years earlier, his wife Fanny had wanted to preserve her daughter’s hair clippings in wax.  In a tragic turn of events, hot candle wax dripped onto Fanny’s dress, igniting it in flames. She ran into her husband’s study, where Henry tried to extinguish the blaze with a rug. He experienced severe burns to his face, arms, and hands. Fanny Longfellow passed away the next morning and Henry was much too ill to attend her funeral.

“A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.” reads Longfellows’ journal entry for December 25, 1862. His beloved Fanny had left him with small children and a sorrow that he could not recover from.

Tragedy struck the family again in 1863 when his oldest son Charles, who was only 19 at the time, suffered a severe wound as a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac. Charles had left without his father’s blessing, joining the Union cause in March of that same year.

The Christmas season of 1864 must have been a dreadful time for Longfellow, as he carried on to care for their remaining small children; Ernest, Alice, Edith and Allegra. The Civil War was raging, skirmishes had continued throughout the country as they were still months away from Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox, and Abraham Lincoln had just been re-elected.

From the depths of his soul he wrote “Christmas Bells”, what some believe to be a pacifist poem roused by his grief upon hearing about his son. It was first published in 1865 in a juvenile magazine.

In 1872, five stanzas were rearranged by John Baptiste Calkin and put to the tune “Waltham”. Two stanzas referencing the war were omitted, and the poem became the beloved carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”

  1. I heard the bells on Christmas day
    Their old familiar carols play;
    And wild and sweet their tones repeat,
    “There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
  2. And thought how, as the day had come,
    The belfries of all Christendom
    Had rolled along th’ unbroken song
    Of peace on earth, good will to men.
  3. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
    “God is not dead, nor does He sleep,
    For Christ is here; His Spirit near
    Brings peace on earth, good will to men.”
  4. When men repent and turn from sin
    The Prince of Peace then enters in,
    And grace imparts within their hearts
    His peace on earth, good will to men.
  5. O souls amid earth’s busy strife,
    The Word of God is light and life;
    Oh, hear His voice, make Him your choice,
    Hail peace on earth, good will to men.
  6. Then happy, singing on your way,
    Your world will change from night to day;
    Your heart will feel the message real,
    Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Sparks and Words

A ‘spark’ for writers is the moment an idea is ignited in our mind. The actual words may morph into a short story, a poem, even a full length novel. A writer never knows what those spark might become.

Writers find sparks in overheard conversations or by reading others written words. Pictures or art can conjure up a story idea. More often than not sparks come from a writers life experiences. Good or bad, joyous or devastating; emotions evolve into wonderful prose.

At this point, writers take it to the next level. We’re not afraid of those emotions that story sparks can evoke. We’re not afraid to dig deep into the joy, the embarrassment, or the unspeakable pain.

Ignore your fears in this New Year and follow your sparks where ever they may lead you. Thanks for joining us at Wordsmith Six.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Interview

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Interview

By Nandy Ekle

“First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!

Ray Bradbury

  

Cast:    Interviewer

Main Character (Claire)

Setting:  A concrete room, similar to an interrogation room in a cops-type TV show. The walls are gray, the light is gray, the floor is gray, and the ceiling is out of the picture. There is a large mirror on one wall right next to the door.

Interviewer walks in carrying a laptop computer. She sits in one of the chairs and opens her computer.

The door opens and Main Character walks in shyly, head down, eyes peeking out from under her hair.

Interviewer:    Come in and have a seat.

Main Character walks a little further into the room.

Interviewer:    What is your name?

Main Character (sits in chair timidly)   I’m Claire.

Interviewer:    Hello, Claire. What have you come to tell me?

Claire:    Well, I’m going to tell you how I came to be where I am.

Interviewer:     I’m not sure I understand.

Claire:    Well, I’ve had a little . . . adventure. I stood in line out there (motions with head toward the door) waiting my turn, and now it’s here. So I get to tell you my story.

Interviewer:     Okay. (She clicks ink pen and holds it over the paper) You may begi

Claire:   It all started when I woke up one morning and realized I was out of coffee. That’s all I wanted, just some coffee. But that’s the one thing that, when I want it, I want it NOW. (Claire’s face darkens) I. NEEDED. MY. COFFEE. (She pauses and then her face morphs back to its original demure expression)

Interviewer:     I know exactly what you mean. I’m the same way about coffee.

Claire:   (Smiles softly) Then you’ll understand my story.

Interviewer:     (Returns smile) Of course I will.

Claire:   It happened like this . . .

I simply take dictation while my characters talk. After all, they’re the ones telling the story.

Your assignment: What came next? Post in the comments below. And, by all means, have fun.