Category: Autobiographical

Total 24 Posts

Pack Up Your Imagination

I love to travel! Born in the sign of Sagittarius,  I definitely have a wanderlust and have been fortunate to visit many countries and parts of the USA. Travel gives me the opportunity to learn, to meet people, and to get inspired. The writer in me enjoys the scents, the sounds, and the sights of new places.

Aside from packing my clothes, my camera, and books to read while away, I pack a journal or two. Sometimes it’s a plain notebook, and other times it’s a fashionable travel journal. Regardless, what matters is being there, writing about the people and places I visit, and invoking my muse to create stories. While it’s easy these days to Google information, I think that to actually be at a place that becomes the setting of a story lends credibility to the writing.

That’s what guided me in writing my western historical romance Wildflowers. On one of my many trips to visit my family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I took a side trip to Independence, Missouri, the jumping off point for the pioneers going west.

My work-in-progress is partly set in Cork, Ireland, and uses the historical as well as the cultural background of the land of my ancestors. It will be a generational saga based on immigrant experiences.

I may not use all of what I discover or experience on my voyages, but somewhere in the recesses of my imagination, they linger to be called forth sometime. So, while glancing at the scenery, taking a tour, or reading historical guides, my journaling will provide the fodder for what I might write later.

Oh, the wanderlust is calling, time to pack up my journal!

Inspiration

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She stood awhile waiting at the edge, watching for him, and praying it wasn’t too late.” – Mistress of the Seas (in progress)

Writers often work in solitude. It’s a given. A mug of coffee, a loving pet by your side, and a vision of a story floating on the recesses of your mind. Where does it come from?

When I look over my earlier writings, I chose what interests me. Angels among us is something I’ve come to believe. Since childhood when I first learned of guardian angels, I felt the existence of ethereal beings deemed by a Creator to assist and work among us. A de javu experience in the ancient ruins of Mexico City and experiences in meditations convinced me of the notion of reincarnation then led to writing about lovers who came together after a lifetime centuries earlier. Ghosts are believed real by many of us. Believing in the possibility led to my writing about it in two young adult books and a short story. The journey and adventures of American pioneers led to my writing about a headstrong couple in Wildflowers, a book set along the Oregon Trail during the 1840’s.

Yet, there is more here. Characters call to me from their world, tell me their problems, and lead to the writing of their stories. It sounds strange, but once I start to write a story down, it generally takes form if I am willing to allow it to. When I tell people that I write fiction, they sometimes tell me that they could write a book. I challenge them to do so. It’s never easy, but it takes more than imagination, it takes endurance, perseverance, and being open.

A photograph, a work of art, the lyrics of a song, a story passed down through generations, a discovery on a trip, other works of other authors can generate ideas. I also believe in a Creator, much greater than I, who benefits all life and instills in us the power to create. I am forever grateful to that Creator.

Summertime and the living is easy … or so they say

Summertime always manages to fly by. Perhaps due to the progression of the years, or being super busy, or doing the need to catch up things at home, but before I know it, it’s another Labor Day weekend.

From the bittersweetness of youth, I recall with fondness the feeling of freedom come July, the barbeques, the beach time, and time to spend with family and friends which I might not have otherwise. Summer comes and summer goes, and season follows season.

This summer in particular had its ups and downs. I did manage to clean out a few closets, read some wonderful books, write (a little bit more), and get to the gym (when I could). The high points being time with family, near and far, a visit to cousins in Ireland, a trip to family in Oklahoma, and the gathering with friends. I will carry those sweet memories with me into the cooling days of autumn. A road tour around the lovely picturesque towns in Cornwall, England which included a tour of the film setting for my beloved BBC show Doc Martin offered an opportunity to learn a bit more of British culture and history. The low point came with the death of my beloved dog Murphy. He had been in our family for eleven years, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. Summer had always been our quality time with trips to the parks and longer walks at sunset.

Soon it will be time to pack away the beach bag, the travel totes, and gear up for a busy autumn. Like the myriad photos captured by my phone’s camera, memories will be there for me to reflect upon and remind me that summer does return.