The Comforts Of Writing

    

      I love to write on a rainy day. Listening to the rain splatter against the window pane while I think up my stories is one of my favorite creative times. Sipping a good cup of tea or coffee adds to the comfort and cozy feel I crave.What's your favorite time and/or place to write?
      For me, it's easier to stay indoors at the computer on a stormy day, than on a bright sunny one. The sunshine calls me outdoors to the park or the beach. Fortunately, my laptop or a notebook and pencil, can come along, and so I make use of one of the perks of being a writer...write anywhere at any time.
     Wherever and whenever we choose to write, it's important to have some comfort as we go about our craft. Sitting endlessly at the computer can cause stiff necks, aching backs, frustration and grumpiness.
      A writer needs to bring comfort to those hours, both mentally and physically.  If sipping a good cup of java does it, then by all means, include it as another working tool.
      Some of us enjoy listening to soothing music or nature sounds as we write, while some of us, myself included, prefer as much quiet as we can get. If the latter is your choice and you live in a not-so-quiet environment as I do, then buy some ear plugs. The waxy cotton ones work better than the foam ones. A good brand is: Flents Ear Stopples.
     Don't forget the wireless headphones they now sell for those of us who enjoy listening to music but might disturb others while doing it.
     Since we all don't have a private office or space to write, we have to adapt. Some of us have a desk in the corner of a busy family room with TV blaring and kiddie activities going on. While a number of us make the kitchen table our space with a laptop. And there are even some of us who resort to taking the laptop into the bathroom for an hour of privacy and quiet. We do what we have to do!
      As writers, we've come to learn that sitting for any long period of time can bring pain, whether we are 20 years young or 80.  So, we need to remember to get up and stretch every so often.  A chiropractor once told me to set a timer every thirty minutes if necessary.
     Sitting in a comfortable chair is an obvious asset. Unfortunately, we all can't afford an ergonomic chair. But where there's a will, there's a way. Adding a cushion or back support can help bring our not-so-comfy chair into the ranks of a higher comfort zone. It'll be worth it at the end of each writing session.
       While we can't always do our writing in the perfect time and place, we can make the best of what we have and where we are with a few adaptations and/or additions. Like that simple cup of comforting coffee.
       It's time to brew myself a cup for the next article....
     
    

Goals of a writer - 2012

      My writing goals for 2012 are: to write more and to write better. To use my writing time well. To have my novel published.  In that order?  Yes. Because for me, the first two goals lead to the third one. 
     I think it was Luanne Rice who suggested that we write every single day. Even if it is just about various observations. Whatever it is. Write. The more we write, the better we become at our craft.  Just like anything else. Regular exercise keeps us fit. Daily consumption of wholesome nutritious food, keep us healthy. I will write every day. Nope, e-mails don't count. Sigh!
     Many a day I have spent nearly all of my writing time staring at the computer screen. Stuck. Blank. Blocked. I'd distract myself with e-mails, reading the headlines of the latest news, and even shopping for a new book to read. Time wasted!  Before I knew it, other things needed to be done. Like returning phone calls, doing laundry, getting out for my daily walking routine, and cooking dinner! Thus, my writing time yielded no writing. This has to change.
     Now, I will go over the story in my mind while trying to fall asleep, while waiting in line at the bank or supermarket, while sitting in a doctor's office, and while doing chores. I will keep a small note pad nearby to jot down an idea or two for the next chapter, or changes to the plot. Then, the next time I am at the computer ready to write, I won't sit there thinking of what to write.
      A published book is the goal of most writers.  But the writing itself is an ongoing journey of creativity, learning, and discovery. 

      Writing is part of who I am. A great privilege. I am a mini-creator, starting with a blank page and ending with a full page, which at some point, blossoms into a completed novel. A good story. One that I hope will move a heart, lift a spirit, and inspire a mind.
       Happy New Year to all my fellow writers and critique partners.

About POV-

    Writing fiction is a whole other ball game than writing non-fiction.  We have what is called: POV (point of view) of each character. It is best to use only one POV per scene so as not to confuse the reader.  Some writers use one POV per chapter, and I once read a book that was written in the first person with one POV throughout the entire book.
     Example: John wondered why his brother, Mike, didn't tell him that he'd been seeing Amy all this time. Maybe he thought that he still had feelings for her, being that he and Amy had dated last year. He'd have to put things straight with his brother tonight after dinner. He didn't want Mike to feel guilty, and he wasn't used to secrets between them.
     That was John's POV.  Even if other characters enter the scene, we stay with John's POV.
     Just then, Mike entered the kitchen.
     "Umm, something smells good. Where's Mom?" Mike turned to John smiling.
     "She went into the yard to pick some tomatoes for the salad." Now is as good a time as any to ask him.
     "Mike, can we talk for a few minutes after dinner?"
      John watched his brother's eyes scan his face with curiosity.
     "Sure. But how about now?"
     Mom would be back any minute. And John preferred not to be interrupted or rushed. He didn't even know if Mom knew about Mike and Amy.
      "Dinner will be ready soon. Afterward would be better."
      That was keeping  with John's POV.  We didn't add Mike's thoughts there. We can do that when it is Mike's POV in the next scene.  For example...
       After dinner Mike followed John into the back screened porch. What could be so private that John had to have their talk out here? Surely he had no idea about Amy. Maybe he should have told him right from the beginning, but he didn't want John to feel badly that she'd chosen him over his brother. Then again, John didn't seem to be hanging his head in rejection these days. He'd been going out on weekends with friends. Maybe he even had a new girlfriend.
      That was Mike's POV and we stay with that for the entire scene.

       Changing POV often is  called "head hopping." Going into the head of one character to the other. So, the next time you read a novel, see how the writer stays in one POV at a time. And if you are a writer new to fiction, it's a good idea to have someone critique your chapters one at a time to check your POVs.
      Happy writing!

Some of my words in print-

http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?sku=807992

http://www.abilities.ca.nmsrv.com/independent_living/2010/09/16/pain_free_entertaining/

 

http://www.abilities.ca/health_activity/2010/05/05/nutrition_prep-free_cooking/

 

Review: CONFRONTING THE BULLY OF OCD: Winning Back Our Freedom One Day at a Time by Linda Maran. Fifteenth Street Publishing, Brooklyn, New York. 2004

Personifying obsessive compulsive disorder as a persistent bully, Linda Maran shares step-by-step techniques to putting up an effective fight against the symptoms and winning freedom from them.
This is not an account of suffering experienced as a result of OCD but, rather, Maran’s book comprises a detailed treatment guide for OCD, much of it gained from her own her sessions with leading New York OCD specialist, Dr. Steven J. Brodsky, who has written the preface to the book. She has struggled with the condition for most of her adult life and understands the problems of others, both in terms of the damage done by the disorder itself and in successfully undergoing treatment. Writing in non-technical, everyday language, she is able to communicate with, and provide strategies, encouragement, tips and direction to, fellow sufferers
Maran’s own motto is “Don’t let OCD bully you!” In order to assist people in not allowing the disorder to control their lives, she provides - in addition to treatment information and success stories - a comprehensive list of resources, including addresses, telephone numbers and website addresses from around the world. There is also a list of books, both about OCD specifically, nutrition and such self-help classics as David Burns’s The Good Feeling Handbook, which address improving mood and anxiety levels.
As any mental health professional will tell you, treating yourself well and eating properly are essential to enabling you to face the rigours of therapy. Many also include humour as a requisite for success. Linda Maran concurs. She suggests:
“Try to laugh every day
       It keeps the OCD at bay.”

Amazon.com

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." ~William Wordsworth

 Writing isn't always fun. Sometimes it requires hours of staring at a blank page or computer screen with a cramped back and hungry stomach. Other times it's intrusion, noise and chores that stop the words mid-sentence. But when that special moment of completion comes...it's a small victory of accomplishment that every writer relishes. Even if it never becomes published, it's an individual creation using the power of words. A gift.
Here are some great quotes about writing:

If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.  ~Toni Morrison

Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning:  I wanted to know what I was going to say.  ~Sharon O'Brien

The wastebasket is a writer's best friend.  ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.  ~Vladimir Nabakov

When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.  ~Enrique Jardiel Poncela

Write your first draft with your heart.  Re-write with your head.  ~From the movie Finding Forrester