Category: On Writing

Total 31 Posts

Weather to Write

Spring ushers in warmer weather, albeit mercurial at times, but generally a reprieve from harsher wintry days. I started Spring cleaning with my closets. Whether to save, donate, or toss a few things from the wardrobe perplexed me, but it gets done, and thrift stores appreciate my efforts. This is the time to scour the drawers, too, for items no longer useful.

While I am at it, this is a good time to take out those notepads, rough drafts, and look at how to spruce up my writing. I am also committing to a Spring writing challenge: NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in April. I have notebooks, outlines, and former drafts to work with. The challenge is flexible in that you can set your own word counts and what you want to do with the writing. I’ve had a few drafts and revisions to choose from. Although the warmer weather and sunshine beckon, I cocoon within my writer’ space awhile to type as much as I can in the allotted time I choose to give myself for the task. Easily distracted by the sweet birdsong in my yard, the demands of a growing puppy, binge watching a favorite series, or the temptation of doing something else, it remains a challenge, but one that is doable. It is not whether to write, but weather need not be right for writing.

Photo by Guilherme Rossi from Pexels

Writing Through It

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” – Charles Dickens

Dickens might have been talking about present times with a pandemic, political and civil unrest, and violence in society. Are we in the worst of times? Have we passed through our season of darkness? Will the Spring be our season of hope?

I’m still figuring out the “best” part, but if you think of all those front line workers including family and friends who worked in hospitals, health care services, or grocery stores, it brought out the best in humanity. There are so many more who volunteer their time in the service of others. They represent the best too.

When you realize how important others are in your life, a great deal matters. Friendship, family, and even beloved pets stood out for me as important.

As a writer, I believe going through tough times can be both an obstacle or an opportunity. If you write through it, you can get through it.

I took the time, when I could, to write a memoir of 50,000 words as part of a summer writing challenge. I “escaped” to my writer’s den each day during the month of August and wrote until I met my goal. Next month, I write again for the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I set up a daily goal or time to write, and just do it.

So, for anyone who is anguishing these days, write through it.

Happy Writing!

Music Sets the Mood for Writing

Strong coffee, herbal tea, and soft or hard rock music can help perk up ideas.

When writing, I sometimes prefer the quiet. It affords the opportunity to “hear” the characters as they speak to me or to imagine the setting for the story. However, sometimes, as I am doing now, I turn on YouTube, a channel from Sirius or an FM station, my playlist from Apple or Spotify, and allow the music to flow over me and inspire my writing. Depending on the story, the mood needed, or my own muse, I select the genre for the music.

I borrowed ideas from the lyrics of “Every Breath You Take” by The Police for the suspense in my paranormal book Angels Among Us where the antagonist, a wealthy scoundrel involved in the murder mystery, is stalking the protagonist, a stained glass artisan with psychic abilities who is guided by her guardian angel, someone who also is watching out for her.

Classical Spanish music including the piece Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo inspired a feeling for the steamy romance of reincarnated lovers in Mexico in my to be re-released Sacred Fires.

Of course, you have to take care not to plagiarize songs, but using phrases and giving credit to the artists is important.

Since my tastes in music run from classical to reggae, I can have fun with finding inspiration from a variety of sources. There is often music of some kind in the background for the story, be it a scene where characters are dining together or dancing, there is music.

So, if you are writing and looking for inspiration, try turning on and tuning into music.