Outtakes 141

All Grown Up
By Cait Collins

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of attending my nephew’s junior violin recital. A.J. is music major at West Texas A&M University and plays in the University’s symphony orchestra. I have attend his concerts, but this is the first time I’ve heard him play solo since he began playing the violin in grade school. His music brought tears to my eyes. Just watching him was a treat. There was magic in the play of his fingers over the strings at the instrument’s neck and in the changing angles of the bow’s movement across the body of violin. For about forty-five minutes, he welcomed us into his world. I was enchanted.

During the post recital reception I asked my brother-in-law if he ever thought Twinkle Little Star sounding like a dying cat would become so beautiful. He shook his head. Maybe we didn’t know, but A.J. did. He worked at his music, learning not only the violin, but also dabbling with the keyboard, cello, guitar, base, and French horn. He sacrificed play time to practice and learn music. He earned the accolades he received from family, friends, future in-laws, and fellow students.

A writer’s journey is similar to the musician’s. Our first stories are rough. Sometimes they make little sense. Yet, if we were lucky, we have a mom and dad who read scribbled messes and praise the efforts. They walk the path with us, encouraging and correcting until we can step out on our own. We have a support group as we hone our craft and submit our first works to agents and editors. They watch our documentaries and act as beta readers for our novels.

While loved ones support us, they cannot give us the passion required to continue the journey. That passion must come from inside us. We succeed because we want it, desire it, and work for it. Talent plays a role in success, but even talented writers must invest the time and discipline required to rise to the top. Sacrifice is required. Work ethic is a must. Our futures as writers are mainly in our hand. We must put the words on paper, write the query letters, and submit the work. Nobody will do the work for us.

I am definitely proud of my nephew. I celebrate his success. But I also applaud my writer friends who are on their way to successful careers. They have earned my respect and congratulations.

Outtakes 140

Windy

By Cait Collins

Spring tends to bring on the winds in the Texas Panhandle. We sometimes refer to blustery days as the wind driving down from the north with nary a fence to stop it. Yes, trees are scarce on the High Plains. While I get tired of bad hair days and red dirt on everything, I find the sounds and scents intriguing.

Think of the number of words used to describe the wind. Tornados, hurricane force, breezy, zephyr, blowing, howling, gusty, gentle, blizzard are among the descriptions. Each word helps to set a scene, evoke emotions, and create an atmosphere. How many romantic suspense stories are set in a blizzard? Trapped in a ski lodge, two strangers unite to survive a cat burglar and a serial killer. Their need to rely on each other to survive brings them closer together as the wind howls and the snow piles up. It may sound hokey, but a skilled writer makes it work.

Wind not only has sound, it touches, has a taste, and a scent. And while we cannot see the wind, we see the effect of its passing. We can open our arms to the gale, hide in the basement or a bathtub when the tornado blows through, or bask in the in the gentle breeze on a sunny afternoon. With all its properties, it is no wonder this weather element is often used as a secondary character in stories and books.  The wind takes on a personality when incorporated into our works.

Today the winds are battering. Even with my heavy purse, walking from the office to my car was difficult. The air temperature wasn’t bad, but the high wind made it feel much colder. My heavy sweater was not enough to keep me warm. So it was inconvenient, but it did make me think about writing Panhandle winds into my stories.