Foundation and Details

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Foundation and Details

Over the last year, I have been involved in planning and building a new facility for the church where I attend. In the planning, every aspect of the building has a purpose. The measurements of the foundation are laid out on paper and then the details are considered, what color of paint, what kind of flooring? Will the congregation be comfortable with the seating? What about sound quality? What happens in an emergency? Is the lighting adequate? The list seems endless.

The day came when the project started and the foundation was poured. At the end of that first day, I stood gazing at a slab of concrete that didn’t come close to looking as large as I had imagined. My mind said something’s wrong! The plans confirmed the size was correct!

Every day since, I have watched as each wall was raised and the roof now appears atop the building, and my perspective has changed. The building has been transferred from ink on paper, to a multi-dimensional object that better fits the concept I had imagined.

As a writer, a similar process takes place, only we use words as the building materials. We hold a story concept in mind with all of its grandeur and we begin to write, one page then two, our mind says something is wrong! What we see doesn’t look like what we have imagined, so we wad the paper up or hit delete.

The story doesn’t look like the grand story in your head, because it isn’t finished!

Don’t give up too quickly, create an outline, the foundation, and then build your story by filling in the blanks with the details.

Rory C. Keel

Rejection and Inspiration

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Rejection and Inspiration

By Natalie Bright

The rejection came in the form of an email at 9:57 P.M. Extremely nice note encouraging me to “keep trying”. The first thought in my mind is to head as fast as possible to the nearest Barnes & Noble. This may seem twisted in some way, but to surround myself with aisle after aisle of books restores my soul and reminds me why I love to write; I love to read even more.

Every section offers so many undiscovered secrets and delights, how can you pick just one?

I enjoy holding a new found treasure in my hand, flipping the clean pages, smelling the newness, and getting lost in the tale. Sometimes I can’t help but to glance at the ending (yes, I’m that person). To feel sad when I reach the end of a good story inspires me to keep digging and learning and discovering, ‘how’d they do that?’

Where do you seek refuge to renew your creative spirit and find inspiration?

Natalie Bright

Grocery Shopping

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Outtakes

Grocery Shopping

It’s that stress-me-out time of the year. My calendar begins to fill with all the obligations of the season. There’s the family Thanksgiving dinner, black Friday planning, black Friday shopping, my brother-in-laws’s annual merry unbirthday party, the sisters dinner, the company holiday luncheons, ornament exchange at church, and the list goes on. Each of these events requires food, so I will sit down with my calendar, my coupons, my holiday shopping-and-planning-notebook and begin to make my grocery list.

Start with the basics. For example, I’m making the dressing for Thanksgiving. So here’s what I’ll need: corn bread mix, onions, eggs, chicken broth, seasonings, celery, a roasting pan, and foil.

Once I have the basic list, I sort through my coupons to see what matches and begin to revise the list to correspond with my coupons. I have 25 cents off on 3 packages of corn bread mix, 75 cents off one container of seasonings, 50 cents off eggs, two coupons for discounts on broth, 25 cents off on foil, and one for the disposable storage bowls I left off my basic list.

The list is further edited by brand, size, quantity, expiration date, and limitations. The final list looks something like this.

6 15 oz cans Swanson’s low sodium chicken broth 50 cents off on 3 can purchase

6 packages Martha White’s yellow corn bread mix on sale 3 packages for $1.25; one 25 cents off on 3 packages.

1 dozen large grade A Eggland’s Best eggs 50 cents off coupon

1 McCormick poultry seasoning ,65 oz bottle. 75 cents off

1 rolls Reynolds aluminum foil 50 foot roll or larger 25 cents off

2 packages of 2 cup Ziplock storage bowls 3 to a package $1.00 off

1 container diced onions in the refrigerator case

1 container diced celery

Now I have a detailed list I could give to my nephews along with the cash, and they could battle the crowd at the store. So what does this mean for a writer?

I make a basic list regarding the characters and storyline for a novel. On a first draft of my novel, I have basic ideas of my characters, setting, time of year and so on. As the story develops, the details emerge and the characters become more alive and the settings are more vivid. I update the list as I go. By the time I’m on the final edit, all the details are filled in and an agent or editor will have the necessary details to present and promote my project.

Getting the details right takes time and effort. It also requires being open to change as the story develops. Making notes of the progress helps prevent errors like the hero has blue eyes in chapter two and brown eyes in chapter ten.

I also use lists to spark creativity. There are some days when the muse is not with me, so I make my grocery list. Instead of green beans, I refine the item to Green Giant French cut green beans. Olives become large, jalapeño-stuffed Spanish olives. Ground beef is lean ground sirloin 90/10. After a few minutes working this exercise, I find my inspiration and get back to writing my novel.

Cait Collins

Deliberate Randomness

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Deliberate Randomness

The clouds lazily crawl across the sky. They look like big old cotton balls and you feel comfortable watching them while the white globs of fluff change and begin to take on shapes. The longer you stare, the more recognizable the shapes are. The shapes morph and become other shapes.

Later you’re sitting in the office waiting for your appointment. Looking down at the tile floor, you notice the flecks of color in the squares. They seem to be random, but after a minute or two, they begin to look like objects or people. You think you see a strange story in the floor.

Then you gaze across the room at the bookcase and notice the grain of wood. The swirls and peaks catch your attention and pretty soon you have another vision of something vaguely familiar.

Randomness is a hard concept to follow. There are patterns all over the place, especially where we least expect them.

Keep your eyes open to the most random spots in your world and see if a picture doesn’t arrange itself for you.

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

Nandy Ekle

PATRIOTISM

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PATRIOTISM

by Sharon Stevens

n. patriot+ism- love and loyal or zealous support of one’s own country,especially in all matters involving other countries; nationalism.     Websters New World Dictionary

In honor, memory, and celebration of my grandparents Richard & Anna Groves

What I know about patriotism I learned from my grandparents. During World War II families were encouraged to invite servicemen from the local air base for holiday meals. Rationing dictated they could only host two men at a time. The soldiers chosen for my grandparents refused to come unless they could bring a third. Their friend was of Chinese descent from California, and though he fought in Uncle Sam’s army he was unwelcome outside the base.

Grandfather had served in World War I in France in the Balloon Corp when the Armistice was signed. He knew how it felt to be so far from home at any time, but especially during the holiday season. Also their son was serving in Italy. Grandmother found it hard to imagine her first born a world away, and hoped he could find refuge with a family there. So without hesitation they opened their hearts to these three young men.

My mother remembers that first Thanksgiving of the war. They ate turkey with all the trimmings, and cakes made within rationing guidelines.

From that point on the soldier became a surrogate son. Christmas came and went, New Years and Valentine’s Day followed. Every spare moment found him at their address and not just for meals. Weekends were spent playing cards and listening to the radio with the family. Many of the other soldiers spent time off the base riding the bus downtown, to the drive inns, to the dances…his refuge was found within.

I have thought back over my grandparents efforts many times. Outside their home this young man would have faced certain discrimination, an ugliness aimed at his features though he wore the uniform of an American soldier.

In sharing the family hearth my grandparents weren’t marching in cadence with a military band, or saluting the flag with their hands over their hearts as the Star Spangled Banner stirred their soul. Their gesture spanned countless generations of dedicated Americans. They were doing what they could for the war effort by offering a warm meal with filling hearts while they filled bellies. Our family celebrated freedom just by welcoming a young soldier, AND the two friends who refused to leave him behind…simply a shining example linking the heritage of all patriots across time.

Through this legacy I know wars aren’t just won on the battlefield. Patriotism is practiced by those warriors who merely keep the home fires burning.

Sharon Stevens

Thank you

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Outtakes

Thank you

It’s almost done. Sixty pages, three chapters and the second draft of my fourth novel HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW will be ready for final editing. I don’t have a publisher, agent or editor. Yet. The point is that I will have finished the book.

I have so many folks to thank. Without their support, guidance and encouragement, I might have been tempted to drop the project and try something else. So here goes. I’ll start with my good friend Cynthia Hunt who read the novella, liked it but wanted more story. The agent who listened to my pitch and told me it would not sell as a novella. However, I had enough plot twists and ideas to develop a novel, so write it. I have a wonderful family who allows me bounce ideas off them. They support my dream of selling my novel and will celebrate with me when that happens. I have great friends who follow the progress of the story and can’t wait for me to complete the book. I support myself with my writing as I work toward the sale of my novel. I have a great manager and team who support my creative writing.

Last, but definitely not least, I owe so much to Natalie, Sharon, Nancy, Craig, and Joe. Meeting after meeting they critique the pages I read. They offer sound advice, point out the errors without demoralizing, and they give me tons of smiley faces. I treasure their input and friendship. And I wish every writer had such a support group.

Writing is a solitary profession. A writer spends so much time alone in an office, or on the couch, staring at the computer screen or legal pad, and painstakingly give life to a story, poem, song, non-fiction book, memoir, or article. Sometimes you can feel so alone in the process. I compare the writer’s journey to the road a woman travels when pregnant. Can you imagine going through morning sickness, weight gain, runs to the bathroom every ten minutes, hours of labor without family and friends behind you cheering you on? How sad would that be? The truth is we need each other to share the good and the bad. I’m blessed and freely acknowledge it. I wish every writer, every person, would be as fortunate.

So to all of you who have been with me in this journey, I say thanks from the bottom of my heart. I could not have done it without you.

Cait Collins

People Shopping

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

People Shopping

You sit at the table in the Food Court at the mall. After a morning spent shopping in the carnival-like atmosphere, you just need to sit for a minute.

Look at the people around you. You see store clerks on break taking off their professionally styled pumps to allow their feet to breathe. You see young mothers pushing strollers and leading pre-school children behind them. You see teenagers not in classes. You see couples walking close together, or herding small children. Or maybe you see people walking at a fast pace against the wall all around the mall to get their exercise.

What you should see in all this activity is a goldmine of characters. Allow yourself to wonder about their names, their careers, pasts, presents, futures. Let their faces become part of your character files. Imagine inviting someone to sit next to you and gently interview them. You can go back later and decide where they fit in your story and the details about them that did not come out right away.

And always ask yourself, “Are they really what they seem?”

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

Nandy Ekle

Fighting Human Nature

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            TRAILS END- The Novel

                                                           Fighting Human Nature

Taking responsibility for the path of your life is hard work. It’s more convenient to make excuses, blame circumstances and other people, or concede to “It’s just my bad luck.” Seeing only the negative side comes easy. It takes real effort to guide yourself in a positive manner, accepting what comes your way, and dealing with it.

In chapter nine of TRAILS END, Donnie finds proof that he is a failure because of the Palomino horse bucking him off. Robert Jarrett’s wife, Allie, delays the home school lesson to present a different point of view to the young cowboy. It’s a turning point in his life and a foundation he turns to forever.

Have you ever had to face the truth to yourself? I think realizing there is always someone worse off than we are, goes along way in accepting our bad situations and motivating ourselves to dig our own way out. I hope that you, like Donnie, can find solutions to your problems, and be happy everyday.

Check in next Wednesday,

Joe

National Novel Writing Month

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National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month, NANOWRIMO for short. For thirty days writers from all over the world will be cranking out words on computers and word processors trying to reach 50,000 thousand words.

The goal is to encourage writers to put out a novel size piece of work in a very short period of time. With that many words completed, the work can then go through rewrites and editing for clean up to produce a polished and completed novel.

This year, I’m going to attempt this challenge as a way of motivating myself to write. It will certainly be a challenge at an average of 1667 words a day. My plan of attack will be to put the outline of my story down, then fill in the spaces. Maybe I should have participated when I had a chatty six year old at home who couldn’t stop talking. I could have taken dictation and made the word count!

If you are interested in participating, go to www.nanowrimo.org and sign up. It’s free, fun and who knows, you even might get a novel out of it.

Rory C. Keel


Boo!

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Outtakes #13

Boo!

By the time this Outtake is posted, I will have participated in my company’s annual Halloween costume contest. My team decided to change our theme from 80’s prom to Death. As I understand things, the Grim Reaper, a vampire-bitten 80’s prom queen, the vampire that bit her, a shotgun toting cowgirl, and the big, bad wolf will make appearances. Dr. Death (that’s me) will hand out lethal prescriptions. It’s all in good fun and gives us a break from the everyday stress of the job.

Saturday evening I’ll park my car on the church parking lot, open the trunk and distribute candy to the children from our congregation and the surrounding neighborhood. The holiday has always been enjoyable. I love seeing the kids in their costumes, and hearing the chant of “Trick or Treat”. I’ll remember my father’s ghost stories, groups of kids going from house to house accepting home-baked cookies and candy apples. We had such a great time. It’s a shame Halloween has taken on more sinister aspects over the years.

While I enjoy Halloween, I find I’m not the biggest fan of horror stories. I had nightmares after reading Edgar Allan Poe’s The Telltale Heart. Stephen King terrifies me. And we’ll not talk about Dean Koontz. I sat through NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with my face hidden. I consider PSYCHO one of the top horror flicks of all times. It’s scary without being gory. While I try to avoid the genre, I appreciate the talent required to craft a true tale of terror. I marvel at the ability to write scenes that make me toss the book across the room or hide it in a box. I guess I rather have my heart race over a gorgeous guy than a ghoul.

While horror fans drool over the latest terrifying book or movie release, I will tune into tamer fare. Maybe I’ll reach for James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series, or watch the campy remake of  THE MUMMY. I can get a jolt but forego the nightmare. And now if you will excuse me, IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN is about to start.

Cait Collins