Saturday, August 28, 2010

Storyboards

I have pieces of Shayla's story scattered throughout journals, writing pads, napkins - how cliche' :) - & my computer.  Scattered is definitely the operative word here.  I've met some writers that swear by index cards.  I know of one author who types scenes, prints it all out & then spreads it across the floor as she pieces together her story.  I once read that Anne Rice writes elaborate character sketches & ideas all over her office walls.  Visual images kept floating in my head like dust mites so I knew I needed some format that would capture the flavor.  I decided to try a storyboard even though I have no real idea what I'm doing.  This picture doesn't capture the board entirely & I know I have more to add but once I started working on this I began to feel lighter.  I'm curious to hear how others begin organizing their ideas...

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Less is More

I came across a writing exercise Jenny Matlock off on a tangent  that will force some discipline into my rambling words. What I did with my summer vacation in exactly 100 words.


A restless summer longing for wings and space to fly; visits to otherworlds beyond a mundane nine to five.
I captured the essence by surrendering to ocean tides of emotion crashing and curling over grains of insight, inspiration.

Writing Shayla’s story, “The Gifted” perhaps; a story of magic, vulnerability, finding home, of fitting into self instead of plastic molds.

Searching for golden threads that weave the words and the storyteller into cohesive completion.

Venturing beyond ego and shifting to purpose and sense of connected spirituality.

Progressing chapter by chapter into healing; month by month into the crisp awareness of fall.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Private Conversations

Sitting in a marketplace cafe' the other day, I saw a lady with worry on her face.  I couldn't help myself & started writing her thoughts as I imagined them.  I feel sure remnants of her will end up in one of my characters. 

                   She thought about her family & her to do list.
       She thought about a world that lived in harmony & focused on a slower pace.
      She thought about her kids, were they happy? Would they be? Will they always be safe?
      She thought about money and how there was never enough even though she doesn't require so much.
      Yet it bleeds, bleeds, bleeds through her palms
      Water draining in a sink.
      And she thinks about the finite time
      On this earth, in this life.
      We are all blips on a screen, some fading slowly, some bright and others hardly ever seen.
      She thinks about pain & where the energy goes
      Bleeding into the universe, starting wars.
      The sludge of unresolved fear, anger & hate
      Coils around the earth like a trail of gasoline
      Waiting for a spark.
      And she wonders why the painful auras are so much stronger than grace,
      Ecstasy lives for a moment & heartbreak doesn't erase.
      And she prays in her head, short bursts of hope in an on-going Facebook with God:
      Status:  God protect them please
      Status:  God, why?
      Status:  God, thank you
      Status:  God are you there with them?
      Status:  God, are you here with me?
      Status:  God, let me feel something else
      Status:  God, I feel you in the soft hands of a child, see you in shining eyes and landscapes, hear you in music and angel's wings.      

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Nurturing the Writer Within

Did you know that stress affects short-term memory?  Knowing that now, it comes as no surprise to me that after juggling full time work @ my job & in my home, a nugget of inspiration left alone during the day becomes a ghost of a thought tickling my neurons by the time I am actually ready to sit with it & write.  I've learned that I have to carry a journal with me always to capture those fleeting thoughts that circle my brain like a whirlwind.  Yet this isn't enough.  I need to pamper my creative self through drinking in flavors of books, art, cafe's, festivals, etc. and I need to take care of the physical shell as well (an area I'm sadly lacking!).  Right now I'm thinking bubble baths and pedicures!
What do you do to nurture your writer within?

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Mama Kat

Mama's Losin' It

I've never participated in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop but it looked like fun.  I was looking @ the list of her writing prompts & realized I could use one to help flesh out Shayla (a main character I'll refer to often I think).  Shayla is 15, homeschooled & doesn't feel like she fits as she sees everything in color (see last post).  When her best friend, Darcy, entered public school in the 8th grade, their friendship didn't survive.  Shayla can't experience normal teen activities due to her sensory overwhelm & Darcy's world no longer matches.
Following is Shayla's response to Mama Kat's prompt "I miss the friend you used to be."

           Once upon a time
             You were my childhood;
             Splashing through iridescent sprinklers
             Chasing shadows like Peter Pan
             Creating lagoons out of puddles
             Immersed in mermaid games as our
             Laughter swirled in silver currents of air

         Once upon a time
             We were sisters;
             Swapping secrets and clothes
             Whispering ghost stories and gossip
             While braiding hair and popping bubbles
             Violet webs of oneness encircled us

         Once upon a time
            Tim Burton wrote the script;
            Your button eyes averted
            Onward to shopping malls and football games
            Knotted thread spiked red binds the memory
            

Monday, August 9, 2010

Healing Crystals

One of the reasons I started this blog was to hold myself accountable to a writing project I've had on the shelf for almost a year now.  I have somewhat of an outline and backstory and two chapters written.  Along the way I've had other writing projects and put this one to the side...but Shayla, my main character, keeps whispering to me. 
I thought I would chronicle some of my process within this safe space.  An essential element of this piece revolves around healing crystals.  Honestly, I don't know a lot about them but I know that Shayla needs it.  In actuality, she needs a necklace to help protect her from some of her sensory issues and shield her from those that can feel her energy.  So, I've been reading on-line about crystals but realize that I need to go to the local holistic healing center and feel the texture and aura of crystals for myself.  I also think I need to talk to someone who believes in and uses them.  And then I think I have to design Shayla's necklace...I can see it but haven't been able to find one.  I'll post about these experiences once I have them.  However, if I had any doubt as to my direction, I drew this angel card today:

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Write What You Know

"Write what you know"...professors always said this in my creative writing classes.  I remember thinking "well, that will be boring!"  I believe that I took this phrase too literally and it's taken age and experience to comprehend that this "simple" statement is actually more full-bodied than what's on the surface. 
Writing what you know means using an authentic voice, doing the research on those topics that can be researched, knowing the back story and believing in your story.  Writing what you know also means understanding your genre so Read, Read, Read.  Finally, writing what you know provides an incentive to get away from the computer, put the book down and LIVE.  We have to soak up our experiences, dare to try something new and observe all that is around us to "prime the pump" of creativity.
Would love to hear what you think!

Friday, August 6, 2010

And So It Begins

I'm excited to begin this new blog.  "Enchanted Inkdom" is what I hope to attain in this space, not a promise that I'm making!  My hope is to connect with other writers as I chronicle through this path of fiction writing.  Truthfully, I believe that we are all writers as Julia Cameron says, but I'm also a bit scared.  I write professional reports exceedingly well, I revise others' work often, I've judged writing contests for others and I've published non-fiction material.  However, I have not shared my creative writing.  It's a daunting thought to put myself out there.  So here I am, perhaps a bit of the cowardly lion peering into the blogworld behind a pseudonym.  However, I am anxious to see what bubbles up and looking forward to meeting & sharing with others!