Wednesday, May 03, 2023

May Brings Rain and IWSG



IWSG

Hello Everyone. I hope you are enjoying spring weather! We are off and on. The last week has been mostly rain, which my garden is grateful for. 

From my garden, anemones

I have three new adventures in writing that I'd like to share, for the first time in a long time. And I apologize in advance for this post being so long.

The first is I'm judging again for a well known writer's contest. Not only am I happy for this, because it's helping me appreciate writing again, but I'm also happy because it's testing my boundaries. They've asked me to judge genres I don't usually judge, because they thought I was a good enough writer to do well with the task. I was floored. Totally unexpected compliment, which made me almost cry. The person who asked me to do it I hold in very high esteem, so for them to think I could handle this was a bit overwhelming. I feel very honored by them thinking of me. 

The second is I'm meeting on Friday with three people who voice for audio books! I don't as yet know if I can afford them or not, but I'm excited to even think of the prospect of having my books turned into audio books! It will be a steep learning curve for me, I'm sure, but I'm willing to learn. 

The third is a realization of what possibly might be the biggest obstacle (apart from writing for money only, as I've mentioned before) to my continuing to write. My father. In the beginning he was my biggest reason for writing, my biggest fan, my inspiration for wanting to become an author. It was his dream to be an author. He wrote five novels and tons of poetry, only to find no home but his for all his work. To this day it sits in my sister's attic in boxes. I have written five novels but not tons of poetry. When did my journey turn from his being my inspiration to me following in his footsteps? I don't know, but I do know I don't want to write "because" of his dream anymore. I want to allow my own dream to be what motivates me, spurs me on to be the best writer I can be. This is new for me and I'm grieving over realizing this revelation. Yet I am also happy to realize I need to follow my own path for my own reasons, not his.

To me, this is the beginning of falling in love with my stories again. To me, I'm nervous, yet it's a nervous excitement at the prospect of finishing my current work in progress. For once, I'm happy to feel this way and not down in the dumps for not writing. Thank you for reading this far. 

Please go and visit our wonderful IWSG co-hosts this month, 

Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Victoria Marie Lees, 

and M Louise Barbour!

May 3 question: When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

Music. Quite simply finding a tune or song that gives shape to a scene I'm working on is amazing and feels like it cements the vision of the scene in my brain. Then I have to work to get that scene on paper, but the visual is always there helping. If I need to refresh, I listen to the tune again! Though I have had inspiration from other sources, music is a first one for me.


Happy May!

7 comments:

  1. You need your own writing path. That will keep you writing.
    Hope you find just the right narrator.
    And music is my inspiration.

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  2. I'm hoping the weather finally warms up here this week. It's been a cold spring, and I have planted yet. That's so cool about being a judge for a writing contest. And yes, you need to follow your writing path for yourself, not your dad. Though it's awesome that he loved to write too.

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  3. Writing has to be your dream or there will be no passion.

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  4. Spring doesn't know what it wants in my neck of the woods so it's been hard to enjoy it.

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  5. Hi, Lisa! Your lovely spring anemones are beautiful. Here on the edge of the high plains of Colorado spring is late, and few flowers have appeared except for the stalwart dandelion which is popping up everywhere. You shared some exciting news about judging ~ what wonderful encouragement you received. Good luck with your audio voicing meeting on Friday. I'm glad that you are writing for own dreams now! Wishing you lots of fulfillment!

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  6. I love the flowers!
    On my side of the globe, autumn is upon us but we still have those hot summer days in between.

    Let the nervous excitement drive you forward as you consider finding your own path.

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  7. Beautiful flowers. Sounds like great news. Hope the judging went/ is going well.
    I'm co-hosting at the IWSG this month. Did you know that June is Audiobook Appreciation Month?

    J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction &Reference Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge

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