Category Archives: Writing

A wise old man said

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A Pinch of Rodeo

  By Joe R. Nichols

 

A wise old man said

I liked “Growly”, but I was sure he didn’t like me. He was the flank man for rodeo producer, and had never said one positive thing to me.

I had just begun to figure out some basics of bronc riding, and although I hadn’t won much, the light bulb burned brighter.

Hutchinson, Kansas hosted a big winter indoor amateur rodeo. It was a prestigious event to attend, and I made a respectable ride. I finished out of the money, but felt good about my effort. Growly approached.

“When are you going to get your permit?”(Pro Rodeo membership) he gruffly said.

Now, I could only assume his intention was to ridicule me in some way, so I guarded my response.

“No, I’m serious,” he assured.

“Well, there’s no sense in me riding against those guys until I can beat them.”

“You’re wrong,” he continued. “Right now is when you need to get amongst the best. Those guys will teach you how to ride broncs. You won’t learn anything hanging around here.”

I pondered his words, and conceded his point. I then spent the next six years ignoring his advice, continuing to rodeo amateur.

When I thought I was ready, I filled my permit and gained full membership to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. My Rookie year was the worst of my career since owning a bronc saddle. I found out that I knew nothing about riding broncs.

How I wish I’d have listened to that profound insight.

Thank You For Your Submission

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

 

Thank You For Your Submission

 

By Nandy Ekle

 

Thank you for your submission to our publication. We are sorry but your story “Once Upon a Time” does not fit our needs at this time. 

Contest winners announced!

1st Place – NOT YOU

2nd Place – NOT YOU

3rd Place – NOT YOU

Now what do we do? The story we thought would take the world by storm, be made into a block buster movie and start a whole pop culture revolution has been rejected—more than once. You bang your tear-stained face on your keyboard and promise you’ll never write again.

Rejection can be tough. It’s never fun to hear that your creation is not wanted. However some rejection is necessary for our growth. From rejection we learn how to improve our work. When we’re lucky enough to get a critique, we can read their suggestions and make our stories better.

We also learn to write to a specific audience. We may need to change one small aspect to fit in with the publication.

Make your edits and send the story in again.

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

SUITCASE

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SUITCASE

by Sharon Stevens

 In the movie, “Hope Springs” written by Vanessa Taylor, I was struck by the scene in the hotel room where Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep were packing to come home from their marriage retreat led by Steve Carell. They were having a very heated exchange as they disagreed on the purpose for coming. In anger Meryl folded her clothes into the new suitcases she had bought specially for the occasion.

What touched me more than anything is that it seemed her clothes were swallowed by the darkness inside that could never be filled. No matter how many clothes she had brought with her they would hardly cover the bottom of the bag.

After they returned home, she and her husband had reached an impasse and she was packing to leave. This time though there wasn’t enough space in her suitcase for all her memories and treasured moments from the marriage. She sat down on her bed and looked around the room at family pictures, the walls, the curtains, the windows, the carpet, and her dresser filled with the silly odds and ends all mothers and wives savor. Her face was terribly sad as she realized the suitcase wouldn’t close,…couldn’t close, with all the things she wanted to tuck inside. How do you choose what you leave behind?

What a wonderful image to explain going from an exciting adventure all the way through to horrific pain and distress.

I loved this movie for so many different reasons. Of course my husband and I saw this from totally different perspectives. I know that even the most perfect marriages have baggage dragging them down.  But what I saw from my side of the bed was thoughts not only about discord in everyone’s life, but about the writer who wrote the story, and the screenwriter who transferred it to the screen. I wondered what they packed in their suitcase to help them write their saga.

I have so much trouble packing my bags for any journey because I know I can’t stuff everything I treasure for the trip. In fact there will never be enough bags in the world, or big enough to handle the volume. And the weight charge would be greater than the national debt.

In “Hope Springs” there were only seconds in these two scenes to impact my psyche to store away in my soul for future reference. Powerful thoughts to help remind me when I get stranded somewhere down the road. I have no idea where, or why, or when these will reconnect, but I am quite sure they will be seen again when I reach my destination. Then I can unzip the bags, empty them onto the bed, unfold my clothes, and then either wear them or put them away.

As writers we sometimes ponder the big picture when our focus should be on the simple scenes in our life. We have a duty to break it down in smaller bags. We can’t pack it all in and expect the reader or the viewer to comprehend our innermost thoughts. I admit I am the world’s worst in trying to stuff every moment inside hoping at least one idea will be understood. I have to work on that not only with everything I write, but everything I say and do.

Terrible habit I have. I’ll work on that.

The most important mission we have as writers is that we need to know when we pen those wonderful scenes straight from the heart that someone out there will be touched enough to remember and relate.

And also we need to be aware that we should weave a story worthy of someday being good enough for our work to appear on the big screen, our words spoken by the greatest Hollywood stars, with direction from A-list directors.

After all, who by far is better than a writer to understand the meaning behind one egg over easy at the beginning of the movie, and TWO eggs cooking in the skillet in the final thoughts?

As I am finishing this, the Mitt Romney and Barack Obama presidential debate is playing in the background. I wonder not only what they packed in their bags to prepare them for their thoughts, but what their wives packed as well. After all, it is the anniversary of Barack and Michelle Obama.

Writing Loss

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Outtakes 93

 

Writing Loss

By Cait Collins

 

The protagonist in your current work is a successful cardiac surgeon. He is in route to a conference where he is to present a paper on a new surgical technique he developed. The pilot comes over the speaker announcing engine problems, and requesting the passengers comply with the instructions from the crew. As the cabin attendant is relaying the crash procedures, there is a sudden drop in altitude. The airplane crashes into a field. Your character survives, but suffers a head injury and damage to the optic nerves. He is blind.

Psychologists tell us there are five stages of grieving:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  Everyone responds to loss differently. There is no order or time limit for passing through the various stages. If the writer is not in his character’s head, if he hasn’t invested a part of himself into this individual, the story may fall flat.

Put yourself in the surgeon’s place. What do you imagine his reaction to the news will be? Or, maybe more important, what do you think your response would be? Consider all the possibilities. Will he be in denial, refusing to accept the diagnosis? Perhaps he will respond with rage and push everyone who cares for him from his life. What if he gets stuck in the grieving process? All these emotions and more are possible. But how do you write the story without losing the emotional impact? Permit yourself to access a similar experience. Recall your responses, the pain, the tears, and then write what you feel. Avoid clichés. Use word images. Vary the tempo of the prose. Since emotions are messy, it’s important to allow your character to experience every range of feelings. Don’t hold back and do not edit.

Writing for emotional impact is not easy. I have recently learned the best way for me to write feelings is to accept the mess and wade through the mire. While the writing has been difficult, it is freeing. There’s something rewarding in seeing the readers’ teary eyes, and hearing their choked voices. When you get this response, you know you did your job as a writer.

Success

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Success

By Rory C. Keel

I revisited an article on success written when I served as President of the Panhandle Professional Writers organization. It helps to keep me moving forward and successful in my writing.

President’s report by Rory Craig Keel 

“The word successful is an adjective that is defined as “accomplishing an aim or purpose.”

Some of us have been successful in our writing by simply starting the writing process, or by learning how to write better. Others have been successful in completing and having a piece of work published. Yet others were successful in marketing their completed and published works.

Being successful is not a static or finite level a person reaches, never to be pushed off as if they were playing King of the Hill, but it is a description of someone that continues to move forward in their goals.

January 2010 PPW Window, 

Here is my simple plan for success.

1. Today – Set an achievable goal and meet it.

2. Tomorrow – Set an achievable goal and meet it.

3. The day after tomorrow – Set an achievable goal and meet it.

When I set small goals and meet them, that’s success.

Don’t wait to be successful, do it today.

roryckeel.com 

I Want To Be

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

I Want To Be

By Nandy Ekle

When I grow up, I want to be a teacher. I want to be a nurse. I want to be a ballerina. I want to be an astronaut. I want to be a policeman. I want to be a mommy. I want to be a singer, an actor, president, race car driver . . .

I want to be a writer. I have heard this one a lot lately. You want to be a writer. You gluttonously gobble up other writers’ stories. You add millions of words to your vocabulary. You learn spelling, grammar and punctuation. You take literature and psychology classes. You take every writing class that teaches any kind of reading and writing you can get into. And all the while, your mantra is, “I want to be a writer.”

So you begin to think in terms of plots and you meet characters. You take photos of settings and think of interesting situations and horrible things to put your characters through. You put your words on paper and build stories that you’re convinced would make Oscar-winning movies. You join critique groups and writing groups and nurture your platform and fan base.

The only thing you need to do now is stop trying to be a writer.

A very talented and successful writer once said, “Writers write.” Stop wanting to be a writer and just write.

Here’s a perfect first step. Get a chair from your dining room and place it in your front yard. Climb up and stand on the chair. Raise your face to the sky and shout, “ I AM A WRITER.”

Now, go back in your house, open your computer and write your story.

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

SUBWAY

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SUBWAY

Sharon Stevens

I found a receipt from Subway in my purse today.

This was nothing new, of course. I am always finding bits and pieces of flotsam that I have saved for some reason or the other. Most times there are scribbled notes on the front and back as to what I was feeling at that exact moment, but there was nothing to signify why this scrap of paper was saved.

Our home and work is filled, AND I DO MEAN FILLED, with billions of notes .  As a writer I never know when I might come across that one perfect notation that will lead to the greatest story. Even better is when I come across something that reminds me of rainbows or sweetness, or pain and ugliness. Oftentimes a scribble takes me right back to that moment in time and enriches the story I am trying to write.

Funny there are so many things I remember that connect. Take for example the kid who usually waits on us at Subway’s, he also happens to come in to buy textbooks at our bookstore. I know his mom and grandmother, his aunt used to care for our daughters at day care. He is a good kid and works hard.  But I don’t think that’s it.

My receipt reminds me that I purchased our sandwiches at the beginning of April during lunchtime so it had to be for the lunch break at our store. Why does this matter?  I have no idea, as I didn’t write anything to signify the rhyme or reason.  This is killing me! Surely there was some special occasion that caused me to tuck the receipt in my purse. You would think so wouldn’t you?

Loula Grace Erdman writes in “A Time To Write” that she always instructed her creative writing students to mark down their inspiration. She had one gentleman that had an epiphany. He went to his knees to thank God for this stroke of insight. By the time he arose from his grateful prayer he had already forgotten what it was he was rejoicing in. Erdman says to always write it first and then thank the Almighty.

Oh well, I have spent way too much time trying to figure out why I saved this one piece of paper. Maybe I wasn’t meant to covet it in the first place. Maybe I just put it in my purse along with the change that went with it. Maybe the story was in the ten dollars and five cents I received back. Maybe one of those bills was a “Where’s George”. Who knows, and better yet, who cares. If I can’t turn away from this one single bit of recyclable issue then I have more problems than that to worry about.

I am looking back over my receipt one last time to try to make some sense and find the clue of why I saved it. Nope, nothing there, nada, zip. It’s no use, no Divine intervention, no Heavenly voice intercedes.

It’s only trash!

But then again, this did help me write my blog for this week. I guess there was something written there after all.

In the Beginning

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Outtakes 92

In the Beginning

By Cait Collins

Do you ever think about the first story you wrote? What kind of paper did you use? Did you have a pencil or a pen? Did you use a typewriter, a word processor, or a computer? What was the theme of the story? How many characters? Do you even remember your first story?

Sadly, I don’t remember the themes or characters in my first story. I do know it was written on a Big Chief tablet. In my early school years, we used those red covered pads for everything. Not only did we learn to form our letters on those pages, we did math problems in the same book. At first I used a fat, round jumbo pencil.

In time stories were written on notebook paper or in my single-subject spiral notebooks. Ink replaced pencils. But I had characters. I’d fallen for Illya Kuryakin, the Russian Man From U.N.C.L.E.  My pages were full of the love that had developed between Illya and his female co-agent. In retrospect, the stories were really bad. What did a 15-year old sheltered girl know about men and love? The truth is, nothing, but it was sure fun to imagine their first kiss. They met in a restaurant, ordered wine, and when they said good night, their lips met. Fireworks exploded. Ah, romance.

Life experiences, experimenting, and practice have given me the tools to write better stories. But there are days when I remember Big Chief tablets, fat pencils, and Dick, Jane, and Spot. Those were the days.

Making a Transition

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Making a Transition

Have you ever felt the need to write every minute detail in order to transition between a situation, image or scene? You know, the insignificant information that ends up getting cut during rewrites? The words that took so much of your precious time, because you felt you had to “fill in the gap” to get to the next idea?

Too much filler can diminish the impact of the previous idea, or bog the reader down so they lose interest going into the next scene.

Here are a few simple fixes that can help.

First, you could start a new Chapter.

Secondly, Skip a line and start a new paragraph. The extra space indicates the start of a new scene. Simply leave the filler out.

Thirdly, use a transitional word or phrase, such as “Meanwhile…” or “the next day…” or even “when he opened his eyes, everything had changed…”

Fourthly, Use common traits in two different objects, for example, “The frost on the window reminded him of the ice that ran through her veins. She was cold, but not because of the weather.”

Remember, transitions should be simple, direct and crisp advancing the reader to the next scene or idea.

Rory C. Keel

Writing Cons: What to Expect

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Writing Cons: What to Expect

by Natalie Bright

 

Writing conferences are no doubt a huge commitment in money, not to mention the time away from family and home. I’ve often heard more than one writer say that their efforts can be better spent at their desk. No doubt about that. Who needs another distraction?

Yet every writers’ conference I’ve attended teaches me something new. And no matter how much I dread the packing and the traveling, or how many times I wonder what in the heck I was thinking, I always feel motivated and thankful after taking part in the event. For example, there’s the recent Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators spring conference, which I attended in Tulsa, Oklahoma several weeks ago. In case you’ve ever wondered what’s the take-away from a writing conference for children’s authors, I’ll review some of the topics covered.

Cheering on Your Cause

Regional Director, Anna Myers, welcomed the group by reminding us that we are all a group of believers: “believers in stories and believers in each other”. Sitting in a room of over one hundred creatives left little room for doubt that there was magic in the air. You can’t help but feel inspired.

Insight

The first presentation was by an Associate Art Director who gave an informative power point on the illustrating process. From selecting the artist, to initial sketches, decisions on word placement, and selection of the final cover based on multiple samples by an illustrator and narrowing down the final look with author input. The creative process is a mystery to most of us after it leaves the writers hands. The insight into this procedure was enthralling.

A typical editor’s day is always interesting, which was the topic of the next session. Writers tend to disappear into our world of every day life and our fictional stories, so its good to be reminded that there’s a whole world of business to this business. I realized that publishing takes a team of professionals who believe in the same vision. A writers’ manuscript is where it begins and a book, that everyone is proud of is, the end result.

Story Craft

The process of creating early chapter books was presented by a Scholastic editor.  This detailed review included the finer points of what makes early chapter books so appealing to beginning readers, and so difficult to craft for writers.

Picture books were the main focus of a talk by an editor with HarperCollins.  The differences between the specific genres in children’s literature always leaves me much to think about. It is a complex process as writers try to determine where to go with that spark. Picture book, or maybe an early chapter book, or can this manuscript be expanded into a middle reader?  The possibilities are endless, yet all are so very unique. There’s no one better to explain the differences than an acquiring editor.

Inspiration

A literary agent closed out the day by reminding us to keep going, chase our dreams, never give up. Despite the rejection and rewrites and the distractions of life, I was reminded that successful authors keep pushing themselves to write, to learn story craft.

In between sessions, I talked to other writers about finding agents, working with editors, and all things related to this crazy business. I heard about the struggles, the sparks, the successes, and I came away inspired to keep writing and to believe in a dream. I also came away with a ton of hope that these writers will keep going, because I can hardly wait to read their stories. So many great ideas in one place is contagious!

To find a group for children’s writers near you, check out the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators website at www.scbwi.org.

www.nataliebright.com