Sunday, June 2, 2013

Welcome to my blog!


     I am really new at this so please excuse my baby steps as I venture into the blog world. I'm still working on the design of my blog, but while that is progressing, I'm ready to chat! I'd like to talk about a writer's journey as well as other topics that encourage and deserve conversation.  In most author bios, you often hear, "I have been writing for as long as I can remember..."or, "I began writing stories as a child..." Well, my story is no different, I loved creating stories and when I was younger, especially as a teenager, they were usually at spontaneous moments, without even a thought to becoming a published author.
     Today, most of us must be multi-taskers. Finding time to write is often difficult, especially when writers need to work without interference. To borrow from Virginia Woolf, we need  "a room of one's own" where we can be alone-not lonely-a place where we can delve within to create, dream, or just be.
     Computers have made out lives much easier. How many remember using a typewriter, where we needed ribbons, worried about keys that stuck, and used eraser tape, where there was no such thing as saving a draft, or copy and paste? We've come along way. Who would have expected to see bookstores close or the advent of the ebook? With ebook popularity growing, self-publishing, and sites like Wattpad, everyone can become a published author. Despite all the changes that have made it easier to realize the dream of writing for publication, the most difficulty comes in finding the time and the quiet space to create.  
     Now that my children are grown, I have a room to work in, a pretty trusty computer, and some quiet time on my hands. Yet, I too often don't make the time to go to the solitude of my creative space. Or, I may feel "stuck" on a chapter and avoid facing it for a time. Sometimes, I just feel discouraged that all my hard work doesn't appear to "pay off" after my novels receive great reviews while only a tiny check shows up in the mail on occasion. Yes, writing feeds my spirit, but like many of us, a little more cash in my purse would be really helpful. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't better to just go and get another part time job. Wallmart are you hiring?
     What hampers your creative process and where is your creative space? How do you find the time, make the time, or squeeze out a space where even a few sentences can move our stories forward? What are your greatest frustrations as a writer?  I'd love to hear from you!



12 comments:

  1. Hi Elaine,
    When I was a single mom with 2 teenagers and 2 jobs, I managed to finish 2 manuscripts. Now that kids are gone and I have the house to myself, I don't seem to be able to finish anything. I think I need the ticking block - a deadline. Without it, I am easily sidetracked. Or maybe it's lazy.
    Kathye

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    1. Thanks, Kathye, for your comment. I so agree with you. How did we go from going like an automoton or handling three or four things at once when are kids were at home to how do I get myself going? I am always busy, but if I look at what I accomplished at the end of the day, I see how often I get sidetracked from early morning goals. When there's pressure to get something done, it gets done, but without that push, it is so easy get off track. For me, it's age, but it's also some loss of self determination. My goals aren't as clear as they once were. Maybe I'll start exercising early in the morning...

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  2. Welcome to the blogosphere.

    Great first post! Wishing you many, many more.

    To be sure I find creative space and move my writing forward, I have a critique partner. We meet once a week and each of us is expected to bring either chapters or a blog post, or an article. It helps me keep the pen moving.

    Best of everything with your new adventure.

    Kristi Rhodes
    www.tropicalcoffeebreak.com

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    1. Great idea. You're fortunate to have a critique partner who you can meet with you on a weekly basis. Reaching out isn't always easy for writers. Many of us tend to be isolationists when it comes to our writing. How many struggle with sharing their drafts?

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  3. Congrats on your first blog post

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  4. Congratulations on your new blog. Best wishes.

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  5. Congratulations on the new blog! Kudos for taking the first step!

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  6. hey, Elaine, nice looking blog and I hope this works.

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  7. A writer friend of mine taped the words "200 words and a cloud of dust" on his computer (a paraphrase of some football coach's philosophy of 3 yards and a cloud of dust). I try to remember that whenever I feel like I don't have time or just plain don't feel like writing. Even if all I get done is a paragraph, it's still moving the ball down the field.

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  8. How true, Julia. I still remember going to an English conference where a young Polish author (I wish I could remember her name) said, just write one sentence a day, if that's all you can do. I've passed that advice on to others, but don't always take it myself. When I do, however, I find that writing that one sentence always leads to another and another...

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