you never know

by Anna Maria Hansen


A thousand times, I might have turned back. It was cold outside, with wind sharp as a knife piercing the fabric of my coat. I'd gone out seeking silence and solitude, where my thoughts could sort themselves out to the rhythm of my footsteps, crushing through the icy snow. I stopped, breath steaming in front of my face, the warm air stinging my skin. Ahead, the trail branched, turning. I'd been down here a thousand times. I knew what was around that bend. I could turn around, go home.

I whispered it like a prayer. You never know, you never know, you never know.

A deer or snowy owl might be just around the bend. The trees might be iced with frost that would only last a few minutes as the sun rose. A few more minutes in the cold and all my thoughts might fall in place.

My mantra played out like a heartbeat. You never know.

I stood still. The forest felt heavy with silence. Waiting to see if I would continue or turn back. Give up. Go home.

Sticking my cold fingers under my arms, I weighed it out. Already I had made my choice. I was just procrastinating, feet turning numb in my boots.

Ahead, there was the unknown, the untried, the unchallenged.

You never know.

I stuck my boot through the unbroken snow and started walking.

***

Write about anything. Anything you take minutes out of your life to do, is worth writing about. Every word you write takes you further along the writing path. Pause to consider, not to turn back. Then keep going, keep writing.

Because, after all, you never know.

writing on writing

by Anna Maria Hansen

October 30, 2013
Well, do you think I waited long enough to get going on this? No plot, no definite characters, no real idea where I'm headed... only that I want to laugh. I must be crazy.

That is the first entry from my NaNo journal. Yes, in addition to cranking out 50k, I also like to keep a writing journal that I update every day with word count, story ideas, thoughts, brainstorming, etc. It's a handy way for me to keep track of where I'm going in the brain-frying pace of NaNo.

I was expecting to be utterly overwhelmed by NaNo. I thought it was one short step away from impossible. In truth, it wasn't bad at all. Rather...

November 2, 2013
...it's amazing to be writing again. Creating.

That was a good surprise. The pace was quite do-able. I also allowed myself to have a few days when I went way below the required 1,667 daily words. It's a give and take. Some days, I churned out 3,000 words, some days 500. This time, I also allowed myself to go the full NaNo, and not push myself to finish a week early.


November 20, 2013
I just realized something. (This is the hilarious part of NaNo-ing; in the rush of writing you forget the most blatant things.) I'm writing a mystery... that doesn't have any really good suspects. Time for some re-thinking!

Keeping the journal lets you look at the progress of the story. As a writer, you are so busy trying to show (don't tell!), that things can go right over your head. Writing them down helps me to keep track of where I was going with a scene, with a line of dialogue, with a fragment of description -- without bogging down the actual story. Later, on revisions, I can go back and see if my "show" is understandable, or if I need to develop it more.


November 28, 2013
So many ideas! Revisions, re-writes, edits, additions, plot twists... just finishing the 50k, wouldja?!

Now that November is over, I am giving myself a week off of writing, and then diving back in to hopefully get a rough first draft of my yet-unnamed novel finished by the first of the New Year. No rest for the weary...

November 30, 2013
DONE!

like-minded people

by Terri Kaiser
 

I belong to a writer’s group at our local library.  We call ourselves The Third Story Writers Guild.  We are so much more than a critique group. These people have become my mentors, my cheerleaders, my ‘what were you thinking here’ people, and my buddies.  Lately I’ve come to realize how important it is in life to have friends of a similar interest.

Living in a small town, with an hour or two to drive to any sizeable community, finding like-minded people, I thought, was daunting.  Most people here are salt-of-the-earth types.  They work hard, play hard, and will give you the shirt off their backs.  It wasn’t until a local newspaper contributor, Karen Dums, founded our group, that we’ve come out to proclaim our love of writing.  Every year we add new and interesting members to fill out our family.  Many thanks to Karen and all her hard work.

Our addition to the community has been very well-received.  In fact, we gathered our courage and performed a reading one evening at a local bar.  I have to admit, I thought we’d be booed out the door.  To my delight, everyone seemed to hang on every word.  They clapped and laughed and sighed in all the right places.  It was very rewarding.

My advice - take a chance.  Form it, and they will come.

in pursuit of the small

by Anna Maria Hansen

It was tiny.

A mouse's paw-print in the snow. I almost missed it in pursuit of the big deer I was trying to photograph.

I followed the miniscule tracks through the snowy forest, moving slowly, eyes trained downward. Kneeling in the snow, feeling cold melt into the knees of my jeans, I looked for the imprint of a paw, the shallow scuff of a tail.

Imagining how the forest must look to this creature, whose scurrying prints had led me to its frost-dusted doorstep. Trying to think what it saw, what the cold felt like to it, where it was now, and why it had gone this way.

Later that day, I was perched on my chair, working away at my NaNo-novel-in-the-making. I saw a cluster of words that stood out, like a shallow footprint on my story.

It was tiny.

I kept reading, kept following the footprints through the words. They were subtle, almost invisible. So quietly they had come into my story I hadn't realized they were there. Now, I followed them. The more I followed the track, the deeper, the clearer, it became.

Until I stood on the doorstep of understanding. Of realizing how this tiny footprint was going to drive the entire story. How it had already left its tracks, and all I needed to do was sharpen them, deepen their impression on the surface of my story.

They were the most important part of the story.

They were tiny.

I almost missed them in pursuit of the "bigger story" I was trying to write. In pursuit of what I thought my story was about. Now I know to lean down, to look closer. To stop. Listen.

Search for the tiny tracks. They'll lead you to the doorstep of the story.

Being discovered...sort of

By Karen Dums

When Third Story Writers Guild's email inbox contained a message from a woman who works on projects for NPR (National Public Radio) we were ecstatic little writers. We had been discovered!!! Of course all one need do to "discover" us is to use the proper key word, such as Wisconsin writers, Wisconsin writers groups, to name but two and voila' our website will appear, contact information included. So maybe its not such a big deal.

Or maybe it is.

Not all of our members chose to work on the NPR project, but several of us did. This is something different, something larger than we're used to. Our work will appear on a national multi-media website with the possibility of "hits" by folks all across the country and beyond. Scary? Yes. Worthwhile? Definitely.

Unless its a very personal journal or diary most writers write to gain an audience. We want others to read what we've written. To that end we practice our craft in small ways at first, then put ourselves in another position. We step out of our comfort zone in search of something bigger.

Most writers I know have little faith in their work. Arrogance may belong to the likes of Ernest Hemingway for instance, but the burgeoning author is a mass of nerves, a jangle of whatifwhatifwhatif, certainly lacking in self-esteem. Our own worst critics.

Enter the writers group, or critique group -- whatever name you ascribe to it goes to the heart of the matter with the same end. Feedback. Then it grows from feedback to sharing of information. I went to this conference and have this information to share...There is an author who is willing to visit with us and give us tips on...I found this website, this writing contest, this possibility...

Possibility.

The NPR project is a possibility for all of us. A possibility that someone may notice one of us folks who meet in this big library in this little town. Some of whom have spent years honing a craft they were not quite sure how they were ever going to put to use. State of the Reunion, as the project is called, is a possibility for true discovery. Not because someone typed keywords into Google, but on each individual writer's work. On that writings own merit.


Ego-boosting or ego-blasting we're ready for. If there's one thing I've learned on this writers wroad (I so enjoy doing that) its to grow a thick skin. We may have to undergo setbacks, I refuse to call them failures, on our journey to publication. But we must persist. Look at the 14 of us who comprise Third Story Writers Guild. We're growing. We're evolving. We're spreading our wings. We're reaching for the stars.

May we shine.

Tickling the funny bone

By Karen Dums

This evening's group brought an interesting mix of discussion on humor. Sometimes we authors can get so serious with ourselves and with our writing that we forget to add a little humor to the mix. It often makes the whole piece that much sweeter.

We have several Guild members who do humor very well. And one in particular who has been refraining from using a natural talent for it. She's not quite sure why. I'm not sure either, but I say "follow the muse".

Its been my personal experience that we cannot fight off the muse, no matter how hard we try. It will dog us until we pick up pen and paper or sit down at the keyboard and get what is brewing in our creative consciousness down on paper, a hard drive, a thumb drive or a flash drive -- take your pick.  It needs to get out. If it doesn't something dire is bound to happen -- you'll get speeding ticket because you're not concentrating on your driving, the food in your refrigerator will begin to grow green moldy substances because you're not concentrating on your refrigerator maintenance, you'll be unable to get out of the house because you locked the shovel in the trunk of your car which is in the locked garage and there is a three-foot snow drift in front of every entry door. Your head could also implode.

The aforementioned, or even worse, are what awaits if writers attempt to block the wonderfully natural flow of the creative juices. There is no dam strong enough to keep them back. Save your energy. Don't fight it. Let it carry you to beautiful places where you will meet interesting, engaging people. These are known as your sense of place and your characters. They'll do the rest if you let them. And if they're funny -- well, can't we all use a good laugh now and again?

Am I hinting that writing is easy? Definitely not. It takes discipline, courage, fortitude, imagination, attention to detail and lots of paper. But if you've been bitten by the writing bug a simple scratch will not do. The itch will continue. Let it go. Let it be. Let it take you along for the ride. Use your natural fight for more important things, like getting the best buys on Black Friday.

"A man walks into a bar. Can I have a glass of water? he asks the bartender. The bartender grabs the shotgun from the back shelf and fires it. The man says thank you and leaves. What happened?"

The bartender cured his hiccups. Well, maybe that one isn't so funny, but hopefully you get the drift.
Write what you must.

A funny thing happened on the way to writers guild

by Karen Dums

 

Monday night. 5:30 p.m. I ride the elevator up to the third floor of the library. Surprisingly, the board room, where Guild meetings are held, is empty and dark. I deflate like an old balloon, turn on the lights and take a seat.

The ideas rolling around inside my head the entire day have disappeared. I'm sitting at the table. Alone. And I've got nothing.

Gradually members trickle in. One. Two. Three. Conversation ensues.  Time for me to fulfill my role as facilitator. Take charge. Isn't that part of my job? It is November. NaNoWriMo, NaNo for short, National Novel Writing Month for long. We're all writers, we all know what month it is.

Have you ever had your wisdom teeth pulled?

Have you ever had an abscessed tooth?

Have you ever written about either one?

There is fodder for the pen everywhere. We can take a horrible experience (see above) and make it humorous. Or we can take a humorous experience and make it serious. Depends on the frame of mind.

Tonight my frame was fractured as a broken bone -- the website, this blog, our group and how we can promote ourselves; what author will we get to visit next, where will funding come from; my own work, there's much on my plate, not all to do with writing but I must work that in. I must. Someone pushed a stick into the gerbil's exercise wheel. SCREECH!

"I was pulled out of formation and sent to the dentist's office to have my wisdom teeth pulled."  Wow. That's nasty, but good, he survived and could use that experience down the road.

Suddenly I was pulled out of formation. By simple conversation. The result? I relaxed around the table with my fellow writers and achieved a less fragmented mind. Gerbil wheel in motion again, at a much more suitable pace.

Sometimes we need not pick up a pen or attack a keyboard to accomplish a great deal. Thank you to my fellow writers/friends for the renewal and the respite. But now it's time to get back to work. Back to work with a much clearer head.

pushing the limits

by Anna Maria Hansen


I'm standing right on the outskirts of insanity, two days away from total madness. I both dread and look forward to it -- a challenge, a battle, a I-can-do-this moment.

50,000 words. 30 days.

NaNoWriMo.

Yikes.

I first participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) four years ago. I thought it was crazy. Madness. But my sister (who'd already done it once) pushed me to try... and I (reluctantly) did. To my surprise, I made it. I not only made it -- I enjoyed it. After that, I completed two more NaNos for a total of three successful challenges. Last year was the first time I didn't do NaNo because I was struggling with trying to figure out how to make a living and write at the same time. Not sure I've worked that one out yet... but there's writing to be done and I can't wait around for the math to compute.

It's not easy. It's one-half inch short of impossible. What I like about it, is it's me pushing the limits -- forcing myself to do something hard... and having no one to answer to (or blame) but myself if I fail. And even if I don't make the 50,000 -- that's ok. I will have written. I will have forced myself to create. I will have tried.

My best writing is found right here. On the edge of my comfort zone. On the brink of impossible. Where the speed limit changes and the scenery starts to look different...

in the company of greatness

by Karen Dums


Meeting someone you've only seen on a book jacket or web page is a peculiar feeling. They suddenly become real. Not a list of education, accolades or accomplishments printed on a page. Not a number of books published, a doctorate earned, a face seen on the television screen. A hand shake reveals they are just people. People like you or me.

Last Thursday, Oct. 17, Wisconsin author/historian Jerry Apps paid a visit to Third Story Writers Guild. He then did a presentation in the auditorium of the Park Falls Public Library. He is "real people" indeed.

He stood behind the podium with the ease of one who has been in that position many times, and with humor and honesty told of his days as a farm boy. Of his attendance at one-room school. Shared the story of his affliction with polio, more than 50 years past now, but a time that haunted him in all the years since. It changed the course of life, whether he knew it at the time or not.

With his editor's urging he did what writers do with the leftover feelings from that affliction. He wrote a book about the experience. Told the world of the pain and suffering of a disease with no known prevention, or even an abatement for the pain back in those days. He talked of it freely. Spoke of his fears and the accompanying feelings of failure. Fear of admitting he'd even been stricken with the disease, convinced people would think less of him if they knew. Failure because he was unable to perform the physical tasks his contemporaries could. Tasks expected of him in that time and place. Gave credit to those who helped him most during that time -- his father, who was his "physical therapist" in  unique ways; his eighth-grade teacher, who helped him pass the dreaded test that would ensure his entrance into high school; the baseball/coach/basketball coach/forensics coach/drama coach/algebra teacher/geometry teacher (in small schools such as Wild Rose, Wisconsin's circa 1947, staff members wore many hats.) a dragon slain. "Limping Through Life" has been out for several months and we now know that without that dreadful disease, it is most likely Jerry Apps, the author/historian, would not exist. For him a negative became a positive. Wisconsin history is the better for it. Readers have much to enjoy because of it.

No one who has gone through a debilitating time would wish for it so that it could become fodder for the pen. But in so many instances, as in Mr. Apps case, it becomes just that. And we never think that in helping us, it might help others too.

Kudos to the man who overcame his personal fears to become an advocate for polio sufferers. Thank goodness he had the wherewithal to pursue a vocation that helped increase the manner in which he can pursue that advocacy.

It was good to meet him. To see he's just regular people. Regular people like you, like me.  We've all suffered through something. What good might we take from it? Make of it? Food for though.

in a rural frame of mind

What with author/historian Jerry Apps coming to talk with Guild members, then give a public presentation; plus an email from an NPR (National Public Radio) employee inviting the Guild to take part in a new venture, our numbers are, for the forseeable future anyway, steeped in rural aspects.

That raised questions:

What drew Mr. Apps to give "little histories" a voice?

We're hoping to hear that answer on Thursday evening.

What draws Guild members to live where we do?

That sparked conversation at this evening's meeting. Park Falls. Glidden. Butternut. Springstead. Fifield. All map dots - some smaller than others. And yet...There is a special freedom born from living in smaller places. A freedom to be what we want, how we want, when we want. We tend to be stubborn. We tend to be more self-sufficient than our city-dwelling counterparts. We tend to find true appreciation in the small. We're proud of our rural roots and aren't afraid to let it be known!  Whether we stay for love of place, love of person, love of quiet, love of solitude -- we actively choose to stay.

Do we miss out? On certain things of course. But as our youngest Guild member, Hailey, so aptly puts it -- "for us going to a bigger city can be a treat, a break in our routine; even if we're just going shopping at WalMart or Target, because its something we can't do every day."

What makes you bloom where you are planted? Do you ever give it a passing thought?  Think on it. You might be surprised at what you discover.

go deep

by Anna Maria Hansen


I sit on the front porch of my house, back nestled against the sun-warmed wooden siding. All around me, autumn light seeps... vibrant and many-hued. The smell, both sweet and tangy; a tiny ripple of wind brushing by. I roll a pencil back and forth between my fingers. I'm trying to catch this moment of time. Pin it down on a piece of paper.

For myself, I am never satisfied with just putting down the facts. I want to make it so others can feel it. I want to give them a single moment in my head. The colors of fall -- we've heard them all a thousand times. Red, orange, yellow. Gold, russet, cranberry. Burgundy, amber, tawny. I'm tired of lists of colors. I'm tired of descriptions of fall.

And yet, I love autumn. I love the way it feels. All bitter and sweet and regretful and beautiful in its brief and glorious passing. It's a scant moment, a flash of weeks that flood by too fast to get a hold of.

Sometimes, capturing certain things is very challenging. Not because it hasn't been done before, but rather, because it has been done so very many times it has become passe. And all at once, writing becomes a bit more work as you analyze the details, look closer that before, see things that are new. Be aware of what has been written before you. Take another look and see it with your eyes. No one else has ever seen autumn through your eyes. Watch. Think. Write.

Go deep, and the cliche can become new.

writer's block

by Karen Dums


All writers get it, or so I assume. That time of staring at a blank sheet of paper, or a blank computer screen. A few words are written, then scratched out with a pen, tearing holes in the paper. A few words are typed, then backspace takes a few hits, all are deleted. It leaves me to wonder...

Ideas are all about us, floating just above our reach, knocking at the doors of our consciousness. Or is there more that leads to the blank page? Are we fearful? Who will find our words worth reading? Are we lazy? I just don't have time. Maybe we truly don't have time...or think we can't make it.

A few weeks back I threw out a prompt "what is the greatest invention ever created?" It didn't even have to be a REAL invention. Writers could use their imaginations freely. Guild member Linda Rybak came up with an interesting invention. A time bank. Her premise was that we could take back all the time we've wasted through the years and be given new time to spend in more satisfactory ways. Maybe we could call it time laundering. Criminals do it with money and we're not criminals. Discussion ensued among Guild members carrying her idea further.  What if it was like an actual bank account. There we deposit money, withdrawing it when needed. So too with time. Time could be deposited, withdrawn when needed. That made perfect sense to me! Guild member Scott Schmidt took it even a step further. If it was a joint account could two people draw on it in an equitable fashion? A humorous meeting took place that evening. Bantering back and forth regarding time. But when put in a writer's life perspective what a wonderfully valid invention a time bank would be!

Most Third Story Writers Guild members cannot or do not write full time. We have pressures of work, family, life. Where to squeeze in those hours for unfettered writing? As is often said "somthing's gotta give." Too often for us its not the job or the kids or the volunteerism or the household duties, it's the writing. A time bank would indeed be wonderful. For none of the aforementioned should be neglected either.

This train of thought sparked an idea of my own. What if we cleared an evening from our calendars and spent the entire time writing? What if not just an evening but an entire night? Twelve hours of uninterrupted writing would be bliss. A write-athon. A write-in. Whatever name we put to it would suffice. We could spend it with our pen and paper or with our computer keyboard.

I've broached the subject to Guild members. Not much response yet. They may be thinking what will "give" is sleep. Too true. But what's one night if we can spend it getting our dream down on paper?
Could a few hours loss of sleep cure your "writer's block?" Let me know your thoughts, please.

beloved friends...

by Lisa Cook

Well. Autumn means dwindling daylight hours here in our great Northwoods of Wisconsin. My laptop computer is down...again. And since I'm a terrible cheapskate who sees no reason in paying an extremely high light bill, here I sit, writing with ink and paper, by candlelight.

Sitting in my quiet apartment, I find myself thinking rather symbolically. Writing by candlelight. What ARE the "lights" in life? Church and faith would likely be foremost. Home. Music. Family and friends are great light, certainly. Writing itself is a light, in a very metaphorical way. The simple joys, you know? These are perhaps not "deep" thoughts...but symbolic ones, to be sure. All the above are my "lights. They give me both reasons to write and subjects to write about.

 As Edith Wharton so aptly stated, "There are two ways of showing the light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Very wise. Where and what are YOUR candles? Can one not be both candle and mirror at times?

And here I sit, on my own in my quiet apartment, writing by candlelight

God Bless you, Beloved Reader. Write on !

words

by Anna Maria Hansen

 
I love writing.

That might seem obvious -- I call myself a writer after all; have written in many different forms; and do so on a daily basis. So yeah, obviously I love writing.

But I'm talking on a far deeper level... I love the feeling of a pen in  my hand, shaping letters. Shapes that transmit feeling from one person to another. 2D doodles that can change a person's mood. I love the subtle power of words and the way a single word can sometimes make you feel something, think something, see something. I collect words; gathering them from different sources. Simple words, extraordinary words, paradoxical words, magnificent words. Then I put them in my invisible box of writing tools and pull them out, one at a time, to explain thoughts I have to other people. So that they can see, feel, smell, hear, be, want, fear, know... what I want them to.

I love that these shapes us humans made up can hold such power. People say, "Paint a picture with words." That's exactly what all writers should be doing. The recognition that words are art. Each shape has meaning that can be transmitted from person to person.

I love when a sentence comes out just the way it should. I love reading a sentence that is so good I mark the page so I can come back and re-read that one sentence again and again. I love words that are put together in such an out-of-the-box fashion that I see them -- and what the writer is saying -- in a completely and utterly different way. That, in a flash of eternity, other people's words can become something of you.

word  (wûrd) 

n. A sound or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing or printing, that symbolizes and communicates a meaning

outside the box

by Karen Dums

At tonight's meeting a Guild member came up with what I felt was quite a unique idea. He proposed self-publishing his book, then attempting to market it through traditional publishing channels; ie getting an agent or an editor to pick it up.

His idea raised some interesting questions. Initially I wondered why he would go through the self-publishing process when his work has good merit; he could undoubtedly be published traditionally in my opinion.

That being said, his idea is a rather unique one and could work. Nothing ventured, nothing gained? In his hand would be a nearly complete project. I say nearly complete because as another member remarked, he would need to be open to suggestions and possible editing or be viewed as unyielding in his ideas and then who would want him as a possible client!?

Thinking outside the box has become a rather trite phrase, and annoying at times. But it causes creative growth when we step outside our comfort zones; when we become willing to risk. Risk our time. Risk our financial resources. Risk our egos being deflated.

I could probably do some research to learn how many authors have been published the first time they sent a manuscript out. Off the top of my head I can think of only one, Sandra Kring, a fellow Wisconsinite who's novel Carry Me Home was the quickest start I've ever heard of!  There may be more, but probably not too many more. Even mega-hits such as Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series took some time to get off the ground.

So where's the harm in attempting something new? Is rule-bending so horrible?

In the future perhaps you'll be hearing the rest of the story.

eavesdropping 101

by Karen Dums


A tried, true and taught technique for writer's is eavesdropping. Finding yourself in a situation, any situation, can provide fodder for the pen.

You are dining in a small cafe'.  At a table near you is a young couple. They are engaged in a heated exchange. Your powers of observation kick in! Conjure a scenario that could make it to your page, or if you have a notebook handy, jot it down immediately. Possibilities are easy. Since the observer has no true knowledge of the situation, he/she can make one up. Is there a ring on her finger? No. She wants to get married, he doesn't. Or, both are wearing wedding rings. His mother is coming to visit, he's happy, she's not. Perhaps one of them just lost a well paying job. "How will we make the rent?" One of them just had an affair. "What do you mean you slept with Jack?!"

Recently I was a vendor at a flea market. To my right was a man with a small Jeep and one table. "How is he going to make a dime?" thought I. A pony saddle for sale plus three fish filleting knives and three bone pullers on his small table.  Would he take orders for delivery? Would buyers trust him to do that? His table was approached, people listened to his spiel. When we were packing up to leave he shared some info -- not one sale. Hmmm. Was my guess correct? Or do folks already know how to fillet fish without gizmos and trinkets? I don't know, but I could make something up...

On my left were an older man and a younger one. His grandson? They were selling cabinet pulls made from rocks and a type of mineral found in Mexico. "I spend my winters in Mexico," I heard the older man tell a potential customer. He didn't sell much either, nor was he as friendly as the man on my right. Rude? Shy? Unsociable? I don't know, but I could make something up...

Across the way was a couple, one male, one female, with six or seven tables loaded with household items. "Bet they're selling off their "inheritance" thought I. They did a brisk business all day. As we were packing up they said their folks had passed on. They'd been selling off what they could at flea markets and rummage sales all summer. Thus the hodgepodge of lamps, dishes, knick knacks, were what I had earlier guessed. Someone else's "stuff."  Did I know the entire story? No. But I could make something up...

Eavesdropping 101. Stop. Look. Listen. One never knows from whence the muse shall come.

the end

by Anna Maria Hansen

 
If there are two words I find it hard to write, it's those.

For years, I have struggled with finishing stories. I get to to the last chapter of the book... and then... I can't end it. It's not that I don't know how I want it to end; how it should end; how it must end. I simply struggle with writing the final words.

Some authors I have read (in particular, Cornelia Funke's "Inkheart" trilogy) seem to struggle with the same thing. Their books go on chapters and chapters after every rational sense the reader has tells them the story is over and the author is just painfully dragging out the necessary ending.

In my opinion, the first chapters and the last sentences are the most important part of a book. If I'm not happy with the ending, I will never read the book again and my rating goes way down. I don't have to feel "happy" at the end of the book; I have been satisfied with book that ended quite sadly, and yet... well. I need to feel that I started -- and ended -- the journey, without being left out of any crucial steps.

I've tried one technique we've discussed at Writers Group: At the point you get stuck, go and write the last chapter and then you should see the story arch your characters will have to make to draw the story together. That did help me to see where I was going... and what I was missing in my character development.

But endings still get me. I struggle with those two words. Perhaps it's because my inner reader can sense that I haven't completed the story arch that I started. Haven't brought it to it's full height and tied up all the loose strings. Hmm.

This is what I write for.

Two words.

The end.

the value of critique partners

by Karen Dums

 
     A big part of Third Story Writers Guild is sharing our work to get feedback and a fresh point of view. It's most interesting for me when others bring material in for another's opinion, so much so in fact that often I fail to bring in my own writings. Is it because I think I've got in all down pat and don't need input? Heck no! But I can get so caught up in my role as facilitator that I treat it like a job -- more about me helping others than others helping me. Last evening I set that premise aside and brought in a chapter from my novel that needed help. Big time help. It was a scant two pages, sadly lacking in... something. My fellow Guild members pointed it out clearly.  My writing lacked in emotion for the protagonist, even though the setting was a funeral for a family member. Shouldn't that scenario be fraught with emotion? Slash a big 'DUH' across my forehead. I came away scribbling all sorts of ideas, with a new direction in my head that will make that chapter better.
     Last evening's meeting was a good lesson for me. We can get so caught up in our own words and ideas we fail to recognize something might be missing. It may be a good lesson for you as well. My advice to any writer: Share what you write with people you can trust; those who will give you good, solid, honest advice and opinions, then listen to it.
     Thanks fellow Guild members, you are the best.

 

the use of prompts in free writing

During Third Story Writers Guild meetings writing prompts are often tossed out to see what members can come up with at the drop of a hat. In a 10- to 15-minute time frame attempts are made to pen a paragraph or two. Following is Scott Schmidt's work on the prompt word cliché:

      "As luck would have it, it seems like there's no time like the present to open this can of worms. Some won't touch a cliché with a ten foot pole but I think one man's trash is another man's treasure. Some will avoid clichés like the plague, but I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Like my Daddy used to say, take the bull by the horns and if you play your cards right you can bet your bottom dollar that by and large everything will be fine and dandy.
      "But if you run fresh out of ideas, or find yourself at a loss for words, you can rest assured that by keeping your nose to the grindstone it's only a matter of time before a cliche' hits you like a ton of bricks. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. It just goes to show you that when you take the plunge and really push the envelope you'll be tickled pink to discover clichés you can really sink your teeth into.
      "At the risk of sounding like a broken record but in order to drive the point home I should remind you to look before your leap or you'll be an accident waiting to happen. Avoid having a knee-jerk reaction. Once you get past that and get the ball rolling you'll be like a kid in a candy store with clichés coming a mile a minute. But don't push your luck and put all your eggs in one basket. You don't want to be on the outside looking in because you bit off more than you could chew.
And last but not least it's been a pleasure to say that when you're on a roll and laying in on thick it never hurts to try, in any way shape or form, to go out on a limb, even when you're barking up the wrong tree."

reading books on writing

by Terri Kaiser


I will start this by saying I am not a fan of Stephen King's dark, quirky novels.  My boys would blow a gasket at that as they are his biggest fans, but I am not.  Now, that being said, I'm currently reading his book, 'On Writing,' and with this book, I am definitely a fan. The guy cracks me up.  He tells it like it is.  And he makes it okay not to follow all the rules.  Are there others out there that have used his book on their journey to publication?  Let me know your thoughts.

the tanka

Tanka is a Japanese form of poetry consisting of five lines in the following pattern: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 7 syllables. "Addiction" was written by Guild member Linda Rybak..

Addiction

Solitary me

Habitual tendency

Sadness fermenting

Overwhelming persistence

Surrendering submission

 

Third Story Writers Guild embraces writing in all its forms. Poetry is a special venue for some members.





Writing as therapy. Really.

By Linda Rybak


As a writer I sometimes struggle with my thoughts. Third Story Writers Guild has taught me to get them on paper, even if they are a jumbled mess. After words are written, I can decide what to do with them. I can save, share or delete, possibly even tear or burn.

It's why I love writing poems. The Tanka form is my favorite, because I can be precise with my thoughts to myself, while still being open-ended for interpretation by others. The thesaurus has become a great friend. When I share a poem, readers can use the words to mean what they need them to mean at the time, much like the lyrics of a song.

I love writing for therapeutic measures. I can write about an event or how someone has treated me, giving it a different ending, something you can't do with a genuine conversation.

There are so many aspects of writing I never thought of before joining Third Story Writers Guild. It is great sharing ideas and strategies with the other members. I find this even more therapeutic than putting my thoughts down on paper.

the challenge of editing

by Anna Maria Hansen


Writing has been like a tickling, annoying mosquito bite this summer. The more I scratch at it, the itchier it become. The harder I try to ignore it, the more it floods my thoughts.

I move restlessly from story to story, dawdling over poetry and submissions of flash-fiction; contest entries and editing. I can't seem to pin myself down to anything for a decent period of time. Is that the nature of the beast?

Yes, writers are very creative and often sporadic in their work, sometimes taking many years to bring a book to conclusion. So, is that what's going on with me?

Personally, I believe the problem with my writing is I don't take it seriously enough. At least not enough to treat it like a real job... with hours, salary and benefits. I don't give myself anywhere near this much slack with my "real" job (where I work as copy-editor and sometimes-reporter); why do I fail to buckle down with my personal writing?

Every November since 2009, I have participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) http://nanowrimo.org/ ... a project that challenges writers to type up a 50,000 word storm... in one month. 50,000 words is the minimum length for a novel and has given many a writer the kick they needed to jumpstart themselves. For three years, I have completed the 50,000 word goal in the 30 days... and rough-drafted three separate novels.

Why then, have I spent two years dithering over the editing process of one book I wrote in 30 days?

For me, I think it's a lack of structure that allows me to ramble my slow unyielding path.

So here it is.

I'm setting my own challenge. Edit my book from page one to the last sentence in one month -- August 2013. It doesn't have to be a perfect edit, it doesn't have to be the final edit. But it will be a complete edit, done in a timely fashion.

I plan to prepare for it in the same way I get myself geared up for NaNo. Put some research into the topic, read a few non-fiction books that pertain to the story, take notes on what I'm looking for and re-outline.

But I will do it.

the facilitator speaks

by Karen Dums

I have the immense responsibility of over-seeing 14 penswifts. Responsibility? No. More like joy. We are a group of writers, 14 strong, who meet in a big library in a little town. We discuss anything and everything that has to do with writing. Sometimes we actually write. This is our inaugural posting. The rest of the members twisted my arm so I'd write it. Really. I have a bruise. Hope you'll be engaged by what we have to say.