[authorme] PUBLISHING NEW WRITERS, July, 2003
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- Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 06:57:01 -0500
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In this issue...
TIPS, TRICKS , SENTIMENT AND CAMEOS, by Kenneth Mulholland
HOW I PUBLISHED MY OWN BOOK SERIES by Grandma Penny Hoprich
LIFECYCLE OF A CHARACTER: DEATH , by Sandy Tritt
Visit our Home Page.
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TIPS, TRICKS, SENTIMENT AND CAMEOS
by Kenneth Mulholland (Australian Editor, AuthorMe)
Yes, it's yet another AuthorMe Newsletter article by Ken Mulholland.
1. There's an old trick that actors at times use when trying to get into a
character on the brink of some deep, emotional trauma. They think about an
event in the past that has caused them pain and sorrow, or in one way or
another has left permanent memories. It could be the sickness and death of a
loved one: a child or parent, a close friend, a loyal pet; or perhaps the
dissolving of a relationship, a longstanding friendship, a marriage. There
are many incidents that touch us and they vary with every individual. Yet
they can effect us so profoundly that we normally put them away from our
conscious thoughts for fear that to dwell upon whatever event it was would
be to reduce us to tears as the memories come hauntingly back. And so, the
actor takes a recalled situation and employs the responses evoked in such
manner that it becomes a tool of the trade. I believe that the same method
can be utilised by the author to create the mood or feel for certain kinds
of story.
2. Another source of inspiration comes from music, which is how I came to
write the short story <http://author-me/fict02/Ken/senscha/sencha.shtml>
'Sencha'. Some writers like to work in complete silence, whilst others
prefer to employ music that stimulates the mood as a background to aid the
flow of their composition. Often in the past I have found music to be a
stimulant to both writing and illustrating.
3. Likewise, a comfortable environment can enhance the productive responses,
somewhere that is your special space out of the mainstream of your home. It
may be your own room, your den or just a corner that is reserved for you.
Here, repetition and habit are important.
4. Write every day. Get into the mindset that is expectant of work in
progress. A single line is enough to give you some satisfaction that you
have moved forward.
5. Find your best time of day or night. Mornings can be very productive. But
so can the evening after the kids have hit the deck and the house is quiet.
6. Work at two or more projects at the same time. This is an aid against
'writer's block' and a stimulant challenge. 'I couldn't do that.' you say.
Oh yes you can.
7. We have two states of being: awake and asleep. When we are asleep, we
have no control of our conscious minds. Some might say we do but that is the
subject of conjecture. However, we can still make use of the realm of sleep,
in the form of dream. The dreamworld is a fantastic area of the mind. That
is, 'Your Mind': a very private place that belongs to you alone. It is your
possession, something that cannot be invaded by anything other than the
subconscious thoughts and memories and impressions that belong to you. (For
more about dreams see <http://author-me/fict02/Ken/sencha/dream.shtml> The
Dream Ascending.)
The dreamworld is a collection of all that you have experienced, suffered
and endured. It is also a reservoir of instinctive behaviour patterns learnt
and imprinted over the generations of human activity and behavior. And, it
has an afterglow. That, we know, is wakefulness. That first glimmering of
consciousness is the time when thoughts of this afterglow are there as you
come, somewhat muddled, out of sleep. And the fleeting images and memories
of dream must be captured before they fly, like so many coloured birds, into
the dawn. When you awake, in the midst of night, or at daybreak, you must
have a pen and paper to hand, if you desire to capture those coloured birds.
Now if all this sounds like so much smoke, think again. Usually, when you
wake up you are refreshed and your mind is about as active as it's going to
be. Yeah, sure, there are those 'hung-over' times, and some of you are slow
wakers etc. But in the main, most folk are ready to 'come out punching'.
That's when you need to recover any valuable thoughts and impressions from
your slumbers. You know the old saying of 'sleep on it,' well of course that
refers to letting your thoughts rest overnight and seeing if things become
clearer in the light of day. Only logical ain't it?
Now to those Sentiments and Cameos; you don't have to say a lot to say a
lot.
1. Once, when about ten years of age, I tore down an old inscription penned
on cardboard, intending to rewrite and replace it; thinking I was doing a
good thing. The lady, my uncle's mother, went into a rage and never spoke
another word to me as long as she lived. The torn up pieces were lovingly
put back together; they had been written by her departed husband.
2. Early in our marriage we lived next door to an old couple. When his wife
died, at a ripe old age, the old man just pined away too. His family came
and emptied the little cottage. In a pile of discarded books, I discovered a
copy of The Iliad. (I have four copies) This copy is dated 1805, and is my
oldest version.
But the point of this story is the sepia photo I found between the pages; it
is of a young woman, her hair tied back with a simple band. I like to think
that it is his wife, his Helen of Troy. The photo is still there between the
pages.
3. I have my father's silver watch and his gold one too. But the watch that
I am wearing is the one given to me at age twelve by my mother and father.
That watch slipped off my wrist in the middle of a busy road without my
noticing, and but for a man picking it up and returning it to me, I would
not have it now.
4. I look across my desk at a small, simple rectangular wooden box that I
keep paper clips and such in. It is the last thing my father ever made. It
is almost childish in construction, a thing that I could have constructed
when I was six or seven. Perhaps that is why it has such a poignant, potent
quality for me.
5. I gaze up to the bookshelf, and there perched on the top is a turned,
wooden vase and sticking out is a goose quill. Many years ago I sharpened
that quill and used it to draw the maps and illustrations for my fantasy
story
<http://www.author-me.com/fict02/Ken/varlar/varlarsaga_prologue.shtml>
Varlarsaga. I look forward to a day when I might take up that quill and draw
new visions.
I keep these things, the objects and the memories, because of their
intrinsic value. That is the value that is worthless to others, yet
priceless to the individual. That is how you can begin your own store of
sentiment, filling it with the many cameos of your life and the lives of
others, the tiny events that have touched you and in turn that you can
employ to touch others.
In the next few weeks I shall submit two short stories to AuthorMe. Both are
true stories and happened to people I know who are very close to me.
As a sneak preview I...
Well bless my cotton socks! Guess what?
That's right. Out of time again!
Ken Mulholland
Country Editor - Australia
AuthorMe.com Group
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How I Published My Own Book Series
by Grandma Penny Hoprich
Editor's note: This book series reflects the Bible study meetings of a youth
group. They were published in a local newspaper before being released as
books. See Grandma Penny's series at: <http://www.author-me.com/bible/>
www.author-me.com/bible/
At the time, the printers wouldn't print less than 50. I wanted 6 for the 6
children that were in the stories. I had given them the stories in 3-ring
notebooks the Christmas before. I knew it probably looked crazy for me to
want to give them the same stories two years in a row. But I wanted them to
have them in a real book. I felt this was a good example of what we can do
if we set our heads to it.
As different friends found out I was having the book printed, they started
giving me orders, some paying in advance. (Having had them run in the
newspaper helped, this amazed me. I would have thought, since folks had
already read the stories, they wouldn't want a book.) Before the printshop
could get the first 50 printed out, I had to tell them to print more. By the
time they had printed my order, I had sold 80 books.
They're still selling (sometimes only one at the time and the sales are far
between). Even now, I'll have someone ask me if I have any more on hand. All
together, I think they wound up printing about 300. I've given away quite a
few. I think I have 3 of them left. Oops! I just remembered, I still have 10
copies in a book store in Lexington, NC
My sister-in-law has 5 she thought she had orders for, but it fell through
for some reason. I need to get those, also. That would give me another 15. I
know they'll sell around here, eventually.
The book "Grandma's Stories" is all over the place; Charlotte, NC. Indiana,
Georgia, Gastonia, Belmont, the NC mountains, Florida, one is in the
Netherlands, Columbia, SC; gosh I can't remember where all I've had people
to order from. I still stand in awe when I think about it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LIFECYCLE OF A CHARACTER: DEATH
by Sandy Tritt
<http://tritt.wirefire.com/> http://tritt.wirefire.com
Great characters never die. Never. They live on in our imaginations forever,
touching our lives and our hearts. This is not to say that they cannot cease
to breathe within our pages. In fact, it is sometimes physical death that
inspires immortality. Once you have given life, nothing, not even death, can
erase a great character's impact upon the lives of its reader.
So-giving life to a character is much like being a parent. We do
the best we can for our characters, give them years of our lives, our love
and understanding, but the day comes when they rebel and say, "Enough. Let
me be me," and we must then allow them to live their own lives. And that is
when we've truly given life.
(from Section 3, Workbook)
Want more great tips and techniques? Our
<http://tritt.wirefire.com/workbook.html> Inspiration for Writers Tips and
Techniques Workbook is now available. Expanded tips, more topics,
reproducible worksheets, exercises to practice what you learn and much
more--check it out! Free shipping anywhere in the United States.
(c) copyright 2002 by Sandy Tritt. All rights reserved, except for those
listed here. May be reproduced for educational purposes (such as for
writer's workshops), as long as this copyright notice and the url:
<http://tritt.wirefire.com/> http://tritt.wirefire.com are distributed with
the pages. For use in conferences or other uses not mentioned here, please
contact Sandy Tritt at tritt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for permission and additional
resources at no or limited charge.
Keep writing!
Sandy Tritt
tritt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sandy's website:
<http://tritt.wirefire.com/> http://tritt.wirefire.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AUTHOR-ME E-BOOK - RADICAL LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM
By Dr. Jacob Hevi
Leadership has been the topic of discussion, so also values. But the
intimate functional relationship between leadership and values has not been
given enough attention. The thesis of this book is that authentic leadership
which alone can fulfill the aspirations of humankind in the new millennium
is the leadership based on, directed by and oriented towards the fulfillment
of fundamental values of various groups and the universal humankind- the
leader being the symbol and promoter of fundamental human values.
This conclusion is indicated by the collective historical human conscience,
which implicitly sets the criterion for authentic leadership in various
dimensions of human existence.
RADICAL LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM by Dr. Jacob Hevi
(AuthorMe.com, 2002) $14.95
Read about: <http://www.author-me.com/jacobbio.htm>
http://www.author-me.com/jacobbio.htm
Purchase: <http://cookcomm.theshoppe.com/radical.html>
http://cookcomm.theshoppe.com/radical.html
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AUTHOR-ME E-BOOK ON TEMPERAMENT THERAPY
by Dr. Rick Martin
Temperament is the God-given, inborn nature of each person determining how
he or she interacts and reacts with people, circumstances, environments,
situations, and the world.
Temperament is who we are on the inside, what the Bible calls "the inner
man" (or woman, God is not talking gender here). The National Christian
Counselors Association, in the early 1980s, conducted seven years of
research involving 5,000 people in regards to temperament. The research is
still continuing.
It is now possible, through the use of the Temperament Analysis Profile
Report (renamed the Arno Profile System in honor of Drs. Arno who were
intimately involved in this research), to determine a person's temperament
and their temperament needs accurately and scientifically.
When a person's temperament needs are being met by healthy and godly means,
stress, anxiety and the problems related to stress and anxiety are greatly
reduced.
Some of the problems directly connected to stress and anxiety are:
depression, dissatisfaction, loneliness, fear, frustration, anger, marriage
and family problems, poor work performance, exhaustion and inter/intra
personal conflicts.
Even the American Medical Association has stated that 80% of physical
ailment is stress related. Dr. Rick is convinced Temperament Therapy is
God's gift to the church to help people in the area of counseling.
Temperament Therapy is Bible based and Christ-centered. He is also convinced
that relationship problems are all temperament rooted and has yet to find a
problem, great or small, that cannot be solved with Temperament Therapy.
Dr. Rick wrote God Created You: A Guide To Temperament Therapy to provide
information in a fun, easy to understand, non-clinical format so people
could understand who God created them to be, how God created others and how
to have happy, healthy relationships with the rest of God's creatures
(people; yes, God created them the way they are also, just as He did you).
He is convinced this book will help anyone who has any relationship (at work
or home or play) to be the person God intended them to be and to enjoy
happier, healthier relationships.
GOD CREATED YOU by Dr. Rick Martin
A guide to Temperament Therapy (AuthorMe.com, 2002) $15
Read about: <http://www.author-me.com/nonfiction/aboutgodcreatedyou.htm>
http://www.author-me.com/nonfiction/aboutgodcreatedyou.htm
Purchase: <http://cookcomm.theshoppe.com/god_created_you_ebook.html>
http://cookcomm.theshoppe.com/god_created_you_ebook.html
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
READ MOVE OVER MAHARISHI
By Dee Landerman
An ordinary housewife is catapulted into the unknown. For over twenty-five
years with one foot in the other dimension, experiences visions,
apparitions, and visits from the divine. As a Christian Intuitive with the
ability to see into a person's spirit, she experienced first hand where the
departed go.
She shares her life openly with you, with the intent to give answers and
direction for you to find power, peace and acceptance in your own life. Dee
reveals the 'Heart Of God' about organized religion and today's churches,
sharing God's concerns and desires for America and the world.
About the Author
Accepting God's terms, Dee Landerman committed her life to Jesus Christ, in
exchange for the abuse and misery she was enduring and found herself the
recipient of divine visitations, messages and visions. Teaching Sunday
school, teen classes and a women's group., she was always guided by the Lord
with lessons and illustrations. For more info, go to:
<http://dee72576.tripod.com/> http://dee72576.tripod.com/ . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Writing Therapy
Cost: $25.00
Instructor Name: Lynette Rees [Dip. Couns]
Instructor Email: peaceful_writer@xxxxxxxxx
Url: <http://class.universalclass.com/writingtherapy>
http://class.universalclass.com/writingtherapy
What is Writing Therapy?
Writing Therapy is a way of connecting with your emotions via pen and paper,
or the keyboard. I devised this course after studying the research of James
W Pennebaker, Head of Psychology, University of Texas. Pennebaker's research
shows that writing helps to lift the mood of depressed people. He also found
that students who wrote about how they were feeling coped better with their
exams.
Class Format
I have devised 9 lessons in all - taking you from what writing therapy is to
covering the basic emotions we feel such as anger, grief, love, fear etc.
I've also added a lesson on dreams and how to interpret yours, and a bonus
lesson on creative writing. Each lesson has an appropriate assignment to
match the lesson's content.
Write your way to emotional health!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASK SANDY TRITT TO WRITE A CRITIQUE OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT!
SPECIAL THIS MONTH... Limited time special, one cent per word. Just mention
Publishing New Writers ( May, 2003)
Critiques by Sandy Tritt...
Unlike most editors, I consider my role to be a mentor or a coach. Instead
of just telling you what is wrong, I explain how to correct the problem, and
I work with you to teach you how to write effective prose. More than 50% of
my business is repeat business, and I relish establishing long-term
relationships with other writers.
Treat you with respect and compassion. All criticism will be of the
"constructive" sort. My purpose is to improve your writing, not to destroy
your confidence.
Mark your manuscript, correcting grammatical and spelling errors And
suggesting alternative wording where appropriate, line-by-line. Highlight
areas that are especially well-written, so you will know where your
strengths are.
Where appropriate, offer suggestions for plot development, Character
development or other areas that could be strengthened.
Return a two-to-four page written analysis of your work. This will include
evaluation of: plot, setting, characterization, dialogue, special effects
(flash forwards, flashbacks, etc.), voice, point of view and any other areas
particular to your work.
If appropriate, recommend reading or resources to strengthen your Areas of
weakness.
Answer any questions you may have via email.
Provide my telephone number for a personal follow-up, if you desire.
For Sandy's success stories, see
<http://tritt.wirefire.com/Manuscript_Critique.html>
http://tritt.wirefire.com/Manuscript_Critique.html
Write Sandy at tritt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
More on e-books...
Read FRAGMENTS by Diane Oatley at
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/file://www.Author-Me.com/poetry.htm>
www.Author-Me.com/poetry.htm
Poetry in honor of the human body - feminine awareness and meanings.
Sample view at
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/file://www.Author-Me.com/FragmentsSampl
e.PDF> www.Author-Me.com/FragmentsSample.PDF
Purchase your copy now! Just $5.
<http://cookcomm.theshoppe.com/fragments.html>
http://cookcomm.theshoppe.com/fragments.html
BEST guide to low-cost self-publication at...
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/file://www.Author-Me.com/e-book.htm>
www.Author-Me.com/e-book.htm Publish your work as an e-book or a small print
run (Publish on Demand)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publishing New Writers, July , 2003 (No. 40 7 )
Publisher Bruce L. Cook, P.O. Box 451, Dundee, IL 60118 USA. Fax (847)
428-8974.
Submissions and comments to cookcomm@xxxxxxxx Links are welcome. To receive
monthly e-mail copies of this periodical, go to:
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/file://www.Author-Me.com/member.html>
www.Author-Me.com/member.html
To review our archive of past issues, go to
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/file://www.Author-Me.com/newslist.htm>
www.Author-Me.com/newslist.htm.
Go Back in Time...
Check out our new all-immersion Life of Jesus (Part 1) from David C. Cook
III. Visit
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/file://www.galleyproof.com/religon.html
> www.galleyproof.com/religon.html
AuthorMe.com is dedicated to the memory of David C. Cook III
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Visit our sister websites...
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Title: Publishing New Writers
Newsletter, July, 2003
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July, 2003
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AOL Users Click Here
Lifecycle of
a Character: Death
by Sandy Tritt
http://tritt.wirefire.com
Great characters never die. Never.
They live on in our imaginations forever, touching our lives and our
hearts. This is not to say that they cannot cease to breathe within our
pages. In fact, it is sometimes physical death that inspires immortality.
Once you have given life, nothing, not even death, can erase a great
character?s impact upon the lives of its reader.
So?giving life to a
character is much like being a parent. We do the best we can for our
characters, give them years of our lives, our love and understanding, but
the day comes when they rebel and say, ?Enough. Let me be me,? and we must
then allow them to live their own lives. And that is when we?ve truly
given life.
(from Section 3, Workbook)
Want more great tips and techniques? Our
Inspiration for Writers
Tips and Techniques Workbook is now available. Expanded tips, more
topics, reproducible worksheets, exercises to practice what you learn and
much more--check it out! Free shipping anywhere in the United States.
(c) copyright 2002 by Sandy Tritt. All rights reserved,
except for those listed here. July be reproduced for educational purposes
(such as for writer's workshops), as long as this copyright notice and the url: http://tritt.wirefire.com are distributed with the pages. For use in
conferences or other uses not mentioned here, please contact Sandy Tritt
at tritt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
for permission and additional resources at no or limited charge.
Keep writing!
Sandy
Tritt
Inspiration
for Writers
tritt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Go Back in Time!...
Check out
our new all - immersion Life of Jesus (Part 1) from David C. Cook
III. You'll become a true believer. Visit...
Religion
Category
AuthorMe.com
is dedicated to the memory of David C. Cook III.
Or, for
another view of ancient times, check out D. E. Austin's In the
Beginning, a fully-researched historical fiction novel set in ancient
Sumer. Visit...
In
The Beginning
From Paul the Apostle...
Chosen
Instrument
By Kurt Schuller
Another
inspired work recreating
Bible times.
|
|
How I Published
My Own Book
Series
by Grandma Penny Hoprich
Editor?s note: This book series
reflects the Bible study meetings of a
youth group. They were published in a
local newspaper before being released
as books. See Grandma Penny?s series
at: www.author-me.com/bible/
At the time, the printers wouldn't
print less than 50. I wanted 6 for the
6 children that were in the stories. I
had given them the stories in 3-ring
notebooks the Christmas before. I knew
it probably looked crazy for me to
want to give them the same stories two
years in a row. But I wanted them to
have them in a real book. I felt this
was a good example of what we can do
if we set our heads to it.
As different friends found out I was
having the book printed, they started
giving me orders, some paying in
advance. (Having had them run in the
newspaper helped, this amazed me. I
would have thought, since folks had
already read the stories, they
wouldn't want a book.) Before the
printshop could get the first 50
printed out, I had to tell them to
print more. By the time they had
printed my order, I had sold 80 books.
They're still selling (sometimes only
one at the time and the sales are far
between). Even now, I'll have someone
ask me if I have any more on hand. All
together, I think they wound up
printing about 300. I've given away
quite a few. I think I have 3 of them
left. Oops! I just remembered, I still
have 10 copies in a book store in
Lexington, NC
My sister-in-law has 5 she thought she
had orders for, but it fell through
for some reason. I need to get those,
also. That would give me another 15. I
know they'll sell around here,
eventually.
The book "Grandma's Stories" is all
over the place; Charlotte, NC.
Indiana, Georgia, Gastonia, Belmont,
the NC mountains, Florida, one is in
the Netherlands, Columbia, SC; gosh I
can't remember where all I've had
people to order from. I still stand in
awe when I think about it.
Critiquing Special
Critiques by Sandy
Tritt
-
Unlike most editors, I consider my role
to be a mentor or a coach. Instead of just telling you what is wrong, I
explain how to correct the problem, and I work with you to teach you how
to write effective prose. More than 50% of my business is repeat
business, and I relish establishing long-term relationships with other
writers.
-
Treat you with respect and compassion.
All criticism will be of the "constructive" sort. My purpose is to
improve your writing, not to destroy your confidence.
-
Mark your manuscript, correcting
grammatical and spelling errors and suggesting alternative wording where
appropriate, line-by-line.
-
Highlight areas that are especially
well-written, so you will know where your strengths are.
-
Where appropriate, offer suggestions for
plot development, character development or other areas that could be
strengthened.
-
Return a two-to-four page written
analysis of your work. This will include evaluation of: plot, setting,
characterization, dialogue, special effects (flash forwards, flashbacks,
etc.), voice, point of view and any other areas particular to your work.
-
If appropriate, recommend reading or
resources to strengthen your areas of weakness.
-
Answer any questions you have via
email.
-
Provide my telephone number for a
personal follow-up, if you desire.
For Sandy's success stories, see
http://tritt.wirefire.com/Manuscript_Critique.html
Write Sandy at
tritt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(See Sandy's article above.)
Read... Move Over Maharishi
By Dee Landerman
An ordinary housewife is catapulted into the unknown. For over twenty-five years with one foot in the other dimension, experiences visions, apparitions, and visits from the divine. As a Christian Intuitive with the ability to see into a person?s spirit, she experienced first hand where the departed go.
She shares her life
openly with you, with the intent to
give answers and direction for you to
find power, peace and acceptance in
your own life. Dee reveals the ?Heart
Of God? about organized religion and
today?s churches, sharing God?s
concerns and desires for America and
the world.
Click here for more info...
Visit our sister websites...
http://www.author-me.com/
http://www.galleyproof.com/
http://www.storythread.com/
http://www.slushpile.biz/
Publishing New Writers,
July, 2003 (no. 407)
Publisher: Bruce L. Cook, P.O. Box 451, Dundee, IL 60118.
Fax (847) 428-8974.
Submissions and comments to cookcomm@xxxxxxx. Links are
welcome.
To subscribe and/or review our archive of past newsletters, go to
Newslist
|
|
Tricks, Tips, Sentiment and Cameos
Yes, it's yet another AuthorMe Newsletter article by Ken Mulholland.
1. There's an old trick that actors at times use when trying to get
into a character on the brink of some deep, emotional trauma. They think
about an event in the past that has caused them pain and sorrow, or in one
way or another has left permanent memories. It could be the sickness and
death of a loved one: a child or parent, a close friend, a loyal pet; or
perhaps the dissolving of a relationship, a longstanding friendship, a
marriage. There are many incidents that touch us and they vary with every
individual. Yet they can effect us so profoundly that we normally put them
away from our conscious thoughts for fear that to dwell upon whatever
event it was would be to reduce us to tears as the memories come
hauntingly back. And so, the actor takes a recalled situation and employs
the responses evoked in such manner that it becomes a tool of the trade. I
believe that the same method can be utilised by the author to create the
mood or feel for certain kinds of story.
2. Another source of inspiration comes from music, which is how I came
to write the short story
'Sencha'.
Some writers like to work in complete silence, whilst others prefer to
employ music that stimulates the mood as a background to aid the flow of
their composition. Often in the past I have found music to be a stimulant
to both writing and illustrating.
3. Likewise, a comfortable environment can enhance the productive
responses, somewhere that is your special space out of the mainstream of
your home. It may be your own room, your den or just a corner that is
reserved for you. Here, repetition and habit are important.
4. Write every day. Get into the mindset that is expectant of work in
progress. A single line is enough to give you some satisfaction that you
have moved forward.
5. Find your best time of day or night. Mornings can be very
productive. But so can the evening after the kids have hit the deck and
the house is quiet.
6. Work at two or more projects at the same time. This is an aid
against 'writer's block' and a stimulant challenge. 'I couldn't do that.'
you say.
Oh yes you can.
7. We have two states of being: awake and asleep. When we are asleep,
we have no control of our conscious minds. Some might say we do but that
is the subject of conjecture. However, we can still make use of the realm
of sleep, in the form of dream. The dreamworld is a fantastic area of the
mind. That is, 'Your Mind': a very private place that belongs to you
alone. It is your possession, something that cannot be invaded by anything
other than the subconscious thoughts and memories and impressions that
belong to you. (For more about dreams see
The Dream
Ascending.)
The dreamworld is a collection of all that you have experienced,
suffered and endured. It is also a reservoir of instinctive behaviour
patterns learnt and imprinted over the generations of human activity and
behavior. And, it has an afterglow. That, we know, is wakefulness. That
first glimmering of consciousness is the time when thoughts of this
afterglow are there as you come, somewhat muddled, out of sleep. And the
fleeting images and memories of dream must be captured before they fly,
like so many coloured birds, into the dawn. When you awake, in the midst
of night, or at daybreak, you must have a pen and paper to hand, if you
desire to capture those coloured birds.
Now if all this sounds like so much smoke, think again. Usually, when
you wake up you are refreshed and your mind is about as active as it's
going to be. Yeah, sure, there are those 'hung-over' times, and some of
you are slow wakers etc. But in the main, most folk are ready to 'come out
punching'. That's when you need to recover any valuable thoughts and
impressions from your slumbers. You know the old saying of 'sleep on it,'
well of course that refers to letting your thoughts rest overnight and
seeing if things become clearer in the light of day. Only logical ain't
it?
Now to those Sentiments and Cameos; you don't have to say a lot to say
a lot.
1. Once, when about ten years of age, I tore down an old inscription
penned on cardboard, intending to rewrite and replace it; thinking I was
doing a good thing. The lady, my uncle's mother, went into a rage and
never spoke another word to me as long as she lived. The torn up pieces
were lovingly put back together; they had been written by her departed
husband.
2. Early in our marriage we lived next door to an old couple. When his
wife died, at a ripe old age, the old man just pined away too. His family
came and emptied the little cottage. In a pile of discarded books, I
discovered a copy of The Iliad. (I have four copies) This copy is dated
1805, and is my oldest version.
But the point of this story is the sepia photo I found between the
pages; it is of a young woman, her hair tied back with a simple band. I
like to think that it is his wife, his Helen of Troy. The photo is still
there between the pages.
3. I have my father's silver watch and his gold one too. But the watch
that I am wearing is the one given to me at age twelve by my mother and
father. That watch slipped off my wrist in the middle of a busy road
without my noticing, and but for a man picking it up and returning it to
me, I would not have it now.
4. I look across my desk at a small, simple rectangular wooden box that
I keep paper clips and such in. It is the last thing my father ever made.
It is almost childish in construction, a thing that I could have
constructed when I was six or seven. Perhaps that is why it has such a
poignant, potent quality for me.
5. I gaze up to the bookshelf, and there perched on the top is a
turned, wooden vase and sticking out is a goose quill. Many years ago I
sharpened that quill and used it to draw the maps and illustrations for my
fantasy story
Varlarsaga. I look forward to a day when I might take up that quill
and draw new visions.
I keep these things, the objects and the memories, because of their
intrinsic value. That is the value that is worthless to others, yet
priceless to the individual. That is how you can begin your own store of
sentiment, filling it with the many cameos of your life and the lives of
others, the tiny events that have touched you and in turn that you can
employ to touch others.
In the next few weeks I shall submit two short stories to AuthorMe.
Both are true stories and happened to people I know who are very close to
me.
As a sneak preview I...
Well bless my cotton socks! Guess what?
That's right. Out of time again!
Ken
Mulholland
Country
Editor - Australia
AuthorMe.com Group
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