I know, it’s a crazy statement, but as an author we all have
an element of crazy in us somewhere. How can we not? We have to balance our
lives, family, and day to day responsibilities with the art of storytelling.
We create lives, personalities, likes and dislikes. It’s like giving birth
without the added weight gain and late night bottle feedings.
Or is it?
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| If they all came like this, I'd want one! |
If we don’t watch it, we drink coffee, eat snacks, and are
glued to our computer screens for hours on end. Thus the weight gain. Late
night bottle feedings come in the form of waking up in the wee hours of the
night, turning on the bedside light or computer to jot down notes or write a scene
that’s been plaguing us all day.
How do we stay sane? Where do these fictional people come
from? Why are we not wearing straight jackets?????
My best guess is because we’ve learned to blend in with the
rest of society. Thankfully people are intrigued by our stories and want to be entertained.
Thus the reason why the straight jackets stay tucked in the corner and the
psychiatrist keeps the crazy pills at bay.
But, all jokes aside, it is my opinion that writing is the
truest form of self-expression, of healing, and finding a way to cope with
whatever ails you. Whether you write in a diary, a memoir, take the
experiences of your life, or pull from those around you. No matter what avenue
you decide to take, writing can help you make it through.
How well you write
is another story.
I love to create the characters in my stories. As an only
child I spent a lot of time playing with my baby dolls, stuffed
animals, and Barbie’s. Each had a name and a voice of its own. I spent hour
after hour making up stories and creating adventures to entertain myself. Each story
had a Happily Ever After. From time to time I would get the tape recorder
(remember that ancient form of electronics?) and make cassette tapes of these
little adventures to share with my parents. They of course thought they were
funny. Little did I know that form of storytelling would eventually lead to me
putting stories down on paper.
I still use a recorder – digital that is – and the stories
are the ones from my books. No dolls allowed; I leave that to my daughter. Now
the stories are not about princess riding horses and marrying the prince. Now
it’s stories dealing with real life experiences. Not all are my own, but they
are real, they do happen, and there is heartbreak and pain. But through it all
there is happiness and love.
As I create the heroines in my stories, I’ve come to realize
something. In each character - as different as they are - there is an element
of me. The woman I once was, the woman I am, the woman I secretly wish I could
be, and the woman I aspire to become. Multiple Personality Disorder at its
best. By telling these women’s stories I’ve found a way to work through the pain in my
past and find happiness in my family and the ones I hold dear.
Along the way I've made friends I never would have known, and
gained knowledge I never would have attained. In short, I’ve not only learned
how to become a better writer, I’ve learned more about me. Writing has allowed
me to make a mark of my own outside of being a wife and a mother. After
thirty-six years I have finally discovered something I love, something I’m
good at, and something that unless I actually lose my mind, no one can ever
take away from me.
There’s not a morning I don’t get up with an idea in my head
and am anxious to get down on paper. Seeing my first story, A Heart Not Easily Broken, go through various stages of evolution over the past two years has taught me so
much. I can already tell the difference in my writing of the second book. I’ve reached
the end of Act 2 and my characters are alive inside of me, and their story is as
close to my heart as Ebony and Brian’s. Once the first draft of the story is completed,
I will still have a ways to go. Adding too, taking away, fine tuning, and
finessing…it’s all the part of telling a story the way it should be told. With
heart, care, and attention to detail.
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| Can't believe I found purple shoes to match! LOL! |
To all of you who are on various stages of your writing
path, I wish you the best journey. Write your heart, write what you feel, let
those characters out and onto paper. Just do me a favor, watch your back. If
you don’t tell the story right, the men with those special white coats just
might change their mind and take you for a ride!
By the way, my straight jacket also has butterflies!
To learn more about the main characters of A Heart Not Easily Broken, read the Chapter One excerpt.
Until Next Time, Write On!