You work full time but have a raging desire to write that book buried deep inside you.
If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’ ~ Toni Morrison
How can I make it happen?
Time and space are necessary, negotiation with your after work, home tribe is mandatory — your loved ones under the same roof need to know the rules of the ring-fence around your creative time. Tell them, the adults and children alike, that this is your scared time after dinner, and family time. It will be a stretch on your energy levels, it will erode your sleep time… but if you seriously want to, not hope to achieve your hidden dream, then lost sleep is a small sacrifice.
The space is as sacred as the time and needs a physical barrier around it to avoid little ones from tottering in to play.
Say you choose nine-thirty to eleven thirty each night, stick to it unless there is something serious that requires your attention. A no-phones-space or noise cancelling headset is all the additional equipment you need to lock in the time and space for your burst of creativity each day.
Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences ~ Sylvia Plath
Quality, rather than quantity, counts during this spiritual time to achieve what you have set out to do. Adherence to this time space includes weekends. Be prepared for a dent in your social life. Exceptions are granted for extra special occasions—birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduation night, etc. These are outside the prohibited norm, and you might have a special occasion not included here. Limit these to those dearest to you. Dwindling social circles are inevitable if your social tribe doesn’t appreciate what you’re doing.
That’s all it takes, but regularity, commitment and determination are the way forward to having your book in hand. And what an exhilarating moment that is!
A word after a word after a word is power ~ Margaret Atwood
As progress happens, negotiate a reduced day job working hours with your manager as you create more time and space for your creativity to flourish.
The writer also needs time and space to read, read, read, all the poetry, craft books, and novels one can fit into a busy day to enhance the craft of writing. Shorten an office lunch break, stroll outdoors and add to the daily scribblings.
And there’s connecting with creative peers for inspiration. It could be a master class or a writer’s association. This tribe is essential to avoid total isolation and to validate your passion.
Soon you will spend more time in your creative space and limited time on your day job.
Go tell that story you have harboured for so long. The world is waiting!
You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write! ~ Saul Bellow
Happy writing as you create the time and space for holy writing hours!
Please add your thoughts, and inspiration in the comment box below.
Narrow down goals set for 2022 as we enter the Lunar New Year in the Year of the Tiger – courage, strength and wisdom offer the possibility to soar in new creative dimensions.
Creativity, like the birth of every new year goes on in whatever shape, form, time of week, or day it chooses to make its presence felt. A fresh look at how to reinvent creativity is alive with the advent of the Lunar New Year.
the noble and fearless creative
Competing with oneself is healthy competition in achieving one’s heart’s desires for a better version of last year’s self when the tiger’s strength and courage are called upon.
To endeavour (NB: a lifelong endeavour) to master the craft of writing is to read and learn from the writers/artists one admires as mentors, and whose works are enjoyed. Choose from a range of mentors to extend the reach by being open to the recommendations on the craft of creating. Read every book humanely possible to grow the craft in many and diverse ways.
To say a writer should write in one style or genre is limiting the capacity a writer possesses for experimentation, and possible success that comes with attempting a new way.
sitting in a long-term comfort zone is tedious, safe – this is not in the spirit of the brilliantly courageous tiger.
Challenging the self is a wise way to curate the best creative version of oneself.
dare to be different
No one way is ever the only way or best way – the best stems from daring to be authentic, to enrich how the creative works to harness new inventive powers buried within.
Here’s to courage and strength in the dawn of the Lunar New Year!
attribution: Pixabay
the dawn of the second month creeps in — January pants
in unfinished business carried over
days pass like the speed of light
chasing the tail of many months
as responsibilities mount
like the leaves of autumn winds
but imagination breathes new life
in spring dreams of possibilities
arriving on the gilded wings of time
twelve months to reinvent
turn the page on the book of life
the wind whispers then roars
‘we’ll get there — together’
Have a very happy, and adventurous Lunar New Year!
The creative question asked is, where are we now? What have we done?
As we slow pedal to year-end, as opposed to manically motoring towards the shenanigans of the period, it’s time to reflect.
Lessons from lockdowns include pondering the way we were.
When freedom is aborted by the rapid onslaught of an unseen enemy, the subsequent mandated exodus from office spaces, a retreating from global, is a new way.
Home is the place to work, play, and rest. If graced with wide open spaces and human company, the retreat might be bearable.
The creative advantage is possible when the shutters are down, streets are emptied, and parks and beaches are deserted.
The creative muse tunes into stillness—if the eye and mind turn more deeply inward, away from the repetitive media message that induced fear and guilt every morning at 11.
When emotions are raw, thoughts tumble out in reaction to the siege on the way we were. Social interactions are prohibited and replaced by a hermit lifestyle, or heaven forbid, succumbing to the doom of extinction.
Global and national disasters, past and present—world wars, financial crises, bushfires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and pandemics, shake up the world to stir the creative soul.
The documenting of histories during global upheavals through fiction and poetry, painting, or musical compositions captures the heartfelt angst of the moment. Creative works emerge from such a time to reverberate into the future. This has the potential to educate and strengthen the action of future generations.
We can never rewrite history’s truth.
Fiction and poetry fearlessly tell the naked truth. Stories created now, in any medium, hold the key to spreading awareness overtime on the traits, pitfalls, and reactions to disasters.
truth and despair – the creative gateway
Capturing today through visual images is vital. A history through words, however, is the ageless wisdom of the soul of our current human condition—life as we feel it, and breathe it in the now.
As we roll up the year, not a long way off socially and politically to where we were back on day one of 2021, let us reflect.
Reflect on the stories we should tell of this time. A time when the world faced a common threat, an enemy that morphs and attacks just when we hope we might return to the way we were.
Time moves forward, and the past is only a backward, behind-the-shoulder lingering glance at how we were.
Change is grain for an undulating creative harvest…
The way to make sense of the world is to read a good book or write one on the story of the world as you live it. There will never be enough stories told of a torrid era.
As you shed the skin of 2021, brace yourself with hope. Arm yourself with a good book, and share love, truth, and joy.
Go forth today in cheer, the world’s voices shake and threaten doom, but you, my friend, keep the spring in your step, the light in your heart and a smile upon your lips
Creating a new rhythm is necessary for creatives during times of social and personal change.
Time is the tool and mother of invention in finding a new way.
Moving house, changing a day job, family adjustments, health matters, all play a part in disrupting creative flow. Creativity is a muscle that has the memory and capacity to return by setting new rules to work around the changes that have arisen. Committing to a daily solo time and space refuels the fires of creativity.
As creatures of habit, it is possible to create new habits. The mind and soul must concur.
If the time of day that primed creative output is no longer an option, consider why that former time-space worked well. Create the energy and atmosphere of that time in another slice of the day. If early morning was a preferred time, consider finding a period of rest in your day or evening to mimic sleep. This might create the morning energy required for flow to arrive.
If undisturbed silence is a preference for creative flow, establish a new routine in your daily doings, whether it’s having dinner an hour earlier, putting the children to bed, or shutting down all social media activities, establish clear new boundaries for your hermit creative hours.
While flexibility is the trend, it can disrupt the process—a new routine established and adhered to invites the muse back to her creator
Making a conscious decision to say ‘no’ to that which hinders creativity might disintegrate your social fabric, but is a necessary choice if creativity matters to you, if it is your livelihood, your life’s work.
A nine-to-five job is a separation from external distractions, so too the creative requires discipline, routine, and structure to harness the power of creative output.
Responsibilities can threaten taking time to create but juggling when and how these personal responsibilities will be met is taking control of what you are passionate about.
Telling stories through the written word, be it sitting at your diningroom table or in the garden, is creative work that is as important as all of life’s work. When passion motivates the project, it is sacred. Acknowledge it. Honour it.
Don’t let the demands of change kill creativity, invent a new way through the power of your imagination.
There will never ever be too many books, lyrics or paintings in our need to connect through the stories art creates.
Happy writing wherever and whenever you choose, but keep the pen flowing, the keys tapping, the paint flowing, and the music singing and dancing .
Share your thoughts below on the the benefit of establishing new rhythms in any area of how you work.
The world is teeming with the here and now, current stories in the making with the mounting flux of national and international events and situations that drown the past as voices evaporate into the mists of time. The danger is in relegating these voices to forgotten histories when they have much to teach this time on human kindness and compassion, to obliterate the self-centred I, me and my way of thinking and behaving.
Fiction writers have the skills at their finger-tips to animate these voices through fictional recreations, Many such esteemed writers, as Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Elif Shafak, et al, have done so to great effect over time.
Ignorant of history, we find it easy to accept our isolation from one another. We are more able to recognize differences than shared experiences and perspectives. History proclaims our common humanity. – Author: Linda Simon
South Africa’s apartheid history has a multitude of women’s voices, women of colour – some of whom have gone unnoticed under the radar of time.
Souls of Her Daughters arrived to highlight the role that women of colour made to the contribution in dismantling apartheid’s constructed barriers of race, sex, culture and ethnicity.
InSouls of her Daughters, two mothers, Varuna and Elsie, the mothers of Grace and Patience unite as one family when their husbands are brutally killed during the darkest times in the land’s racist history. Their daughters, Grace and Patience, become the stoic women they reveal themselves to be while fighting their own demons on sexism and abuse. Kindness and compassion pave the way forward as the personal histories of Varuna and Elsie in demonstrating their resilience under the scrutiny and accusations of racist stereotypes.
From humble beginnings both Grace and Patience emerge as women of courage, serving humanity in an international arena. Before they achieved this level of confidence they found a space where they were valued, belonged, to reach out to those struggling a similar or worse fate.
These four forgotten voices were deep, and the reach expansive that it opened the way for two more novels to follow, Chosen Lives, and, What Change May Come. These novels that followed, Souls of Her Daughters takes the reader on a journey from South Africa to Australia, Ireland and India. The novels showcase the kindness and compassion of two sisters born from different mothers into a segregated South African society with the potential to overcome the debilitating challenges of their birth country’s political history.
Fiction has a valuable role to play in the recreated telling of stories that did not make it into the history pages of its respective time, yet these stories carry the potential to educate the here and now for a future built on kindness and compassion. These human qualities dissolve the quagmire of the human condition.
Please like and share your thoughts and ideas on the recreated fictionalised histories you would like to read.
Creativity feeds off emotions both positive and negative. Words give vent to the language of the heart.
Grief after the passing of a deeply loved one, sucks the wind from the sails of creativity, for a while… Fighting it is futile, emotions are in a tangle when death is unexpectedly sudden.
Fit one day, gone the next. The mind is thrown into chaos as exhaustion sets in, slowing down the clock to a sonorous ticking of every minute, every hour.
Be gentle with yourself when grief blocks the creative edge.
Isolation and solitude are necessary to process the deeply felt loss. Within there is the need to comfort the nearest and dearest around one going through the same process.
But in those still, grieving, reflective moments, hours, days, and many weeks, creativity takes on a new face — creative expression on loss and grief. Picking up a pen and journal offers the promise of comfort when there is no inclination to turn on the laptop. Poetry emerges in the healing as words tumble out in emotional self-expression, mourning the deep-seated loss.
Words comfort and clear the brambles of the heart.
Seeking solace in meditation while grieving might, at times, seem impossible when the conscious mind buckles, contorts in pain. The way out is through writing, giving vent to grief and anger and all the unanswered whys…
Memory beckons, draws one in to seek solace in understanding the heart’s tears.
Soon, day by day, time allows the soul to accept, to find a new way, to adapt, to be, by letting go of the familiar patterns of one’s life. As humans we are adaptable to change, if one allows the mind to remain healthy by turning to warm memories, and articulating emotions — pain eases, and limits sinking into the dark depths of despair.
Grief is the single most difficult challenge of life (as I see it) in coming to terms with the gentle, deep cadence of a voice one will never hear again, a face never seen again in the flesh – the Guiding Light of one’s angst no longer there to soothe troubles or share joy.
Time is a long-standing ally to a grieving soul.
Acceptance is not an easy path to tread when the void is palpable…huge… but healing will come with time as memories resurface in those moments when a birthday card or photograph falls out a book, or pops up on a phone or Facebook Memories to remind one of the love shared. Loss is never overcome, but heart-warming moments return when least expected in unexpected places, to catch a breath in quiet recall to ignite a smile.
Creativity hooks emotions — grief the impasse as the eye turns inward to gather new creative pace and space.
If you have lost a loved one, take heart, your muse never flees in the hours of need, but draws renewed vigour from your newest angel, ready to guide your creative light.
a month too soon
let him rise in peace
as he lived his life
sharing love and joy with those
who honoured his stature
a compassionate giving soul
taken gently in the early morn
rising swiftly into the arms of Divine Grace
(RIP Beloved Father of Mine)
I hope you find comfort and reassurance that grief borne needs time, so be gentle with your creative self by keeping the mind healthy to protect your heart for the wondrous, comforting glow of memory and renewed imagination…
A story crafted from bone to flesh takes many months, or years of vested time where emotional attachment is difficult to relinquish.
There comes a time in every delightful story where the writer cedes the pen (for a while before the editing clean-up).
Knowing where to start is as important as knowing when to stop.
Writing sequels, trilogies and series is a long-term relationship between the writer and manuscript. Characters become real when they consume sleeping and waking thoughts. A character wanting a bigger space on the pages of a story holds the writer to ransom.
Endings must be free of padding or info-dumping that feed the writer’s attachment to the tale, people or place, serving no express purpose to the story. Readers will thank the writer for avoiding the stuffing.
The original plan for the story veers off when a character wanting to be acknowledged calls out the loudest. Such a character is allowed a voice that directs the action on a different path. This is a natural part of the process, but rogue characters must be reeled in and put under a microscope to assess their primary role—is the character essential to the plot, does the character add an exciting plot twist or are they unnecessary?
A benevolent muse is the one to thank for all that arrive to prod the writer. If the voice/story/scene are ignored, they find a way into somebody else’s story. Lady Muse is a perpetual huntress.
Heed the call we must!
Writing is joyful, hard work. It takes committed diligence to keep going until the story is over. It will only ever be over when the writer is convinced it is time to stop. Soliciting advice from a trusted other, The Reader, is a good way to ensure that it is indeed the right point to type in ‘The End’.
Well-written stories will entertain audiences long after the writer’s time has passed.
When it feels right to end it — do it! If it is deemed not right later down the editing track — change it or add in a few subtle changes. To ignore that gnawing feeling that something is not right, but not worth the trouble to rectify it, is a mistake that comes back to haunt the writer.
Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art of ending ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, educator, linguist.
Structure in a story is important, but the creative does not adhere to structure alone at the sacrifice of something unique that has the potential to hold the reader’s attention.
Should the ending resolve all issues?
Are all life’s issues resolved?
Fiction entertains but should mirror life to connect with readers on the universality of our fundamental humanity.
Walking in the shoes of the reader is a good way to access whether a story crafted over a length of time, the writer’s blood on the page, has value for the reader.
A story begins with action or change, and everything follows on from there, and it may end with change, the character’s growth or downfall, but ultimately it must guarantee reader satisfaction. If not, then a sequel or epilogue might do the trick, or leave it open to interpretation, but keep the element of surprise.
Tie up loose ends without deliberating over them
Would you write the ending first? This might be a sure-fire way to lead the scenes throughout the process of the first draft.
Please share the endings of some of your favourite books in the comment box below.
Writing with a pen or pencil in hand has the natural rhythm of heart, mind, and soul, working in sync.
When creative thought emerges, there is no schedule. It arrives on the wings of Mother Muse who transports the message for the composer to pick up.
Longhand novel drafting and writing has been my process from the middle of my third book. I tested the shift to handwriting, and the creative process flowed with ease and gained momentum sooner on story advancement. While this is positive for creative flow, additionally time has to be built into the deadline to type up the longhand manuscript. Essentially this is like a second draft if writing entirely in longhand, then type on Word or other preferred platforms. There are pros and cons to the process. The toll on the wrist for one — writer’s occupational health matters. The positive side is that before the first full self-edit, the dried leaves, dead wood bits and pieces are swept away as the typed word hits the digital page.
How do we maximise the pros to meet deadlines, and create a polished piece? Dictating from longhand onto Word is a great way to save the old wrist issues. This takes time and will be near accurate when voice recognition is on the mark, or there will be more to clear up than just the longhand manuscript flaws.
Scrivener dictation is great across all devices and allows easy transition to a Word document. There are countless other ways to dictate the handwritten word to the digital format.
The brain engages differently when handwriting, compared to keyboard writing. Memory is enhanced with handwriting, a great way to keep track of sequence, characters, scenes etc in their contribution to the whole novel/story. Memory alone will not suffice to keep track of such, note making and journaling are an important part of the process. Scrivener helps the digital tracking of all the parts that make up the sum.
Handwriting, according to psychological studies, is therapeutic for coping with trauma, and to process emotions — the physical formation of letters to words to sentences to paragraphs is undistracted with handwriting, it settles the mind and spirit. This has the benefit of capturing emotional scenes in novels with authenticity to enhance reader engagement.
… handwriting like playing a guitar or preferred musical instrument, it is thoughtful and mindful.
In an era where speed is the demand (a mixed blessing) anxiety levels have increased across all generations. Handwriting is akin to playing a musical instrument, think of the strokes on a guitar to produce the sweet melody. Notice the musician’s facial expression, lost in moments of pleasure. Handwriting is markedly slower than tapping a keyboard, and thus intensely calming. The very act of handwriting like playing a guitar or preferred musical instrument, makes the process thoughtful and mindful.
As a teacher and writer, spelling benefits from handwriting without spellcheck, free of predicted text that can at times mumbo jumbo intention/meaning.
If you’re a digital only writer and need a conversion test, start small.
Write out your daily or weekly home or work plan on a bedside or desk notebook.
Poets don’t draw. They unravel their handwriting, and then tie it up again, but differently~ Jean Cocteau (French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker)
Now sit back and watch your creativity grow!
Happy handwriting. Let it flow!
What’s your best writing practice?
Please share, like and comment in the message box.
A creative life brings much joy and excitement where it’s easy to forget that it is work. And as with all work, the mind and body tire when passion pushes on in a hedonistic surge, and more so when creating new worlds peopled with exciting characters doing extraordinary things or making the ordinary quite exciting.
Putting the foot on the brake when exhaustion sets in does not send the creative muse into permanent banishment—quite the opposite. A brief pause, a day or perhaps two, refuels the creative well with the elixir needed to push to the next level of creative intentions. It is only the physical act of doing that is on a temporary hiatus to clear the mind to absorb new inspiration, the sights, sounds, movements, to see the everyday and old with refreshed eyes.
The pause could be time spent to catch up on much needed relaxed reading, beach walks, feeling the outdoors, meandering in a museum, taking in a movie, going to the theatre, or out to breakfast or dinner with yourself. Me time invigorates the creative mind and spirit. Although most creatives work in solitude and might crave company, it is elected carefree time alone, whether in a crowd or on a private beach, that eases mental exhaustion generated by passionate overwork.
pixabay
pixabay
It is the creative’s passion that invests extensive time, and intense hard work to produce a work of art, be it a manuscript, painting, a sculpture, or music. The ultimate piece, the artwork outside the physical form has its own story to tell as one of sheer commitment for the love and euphoria generated by creating—early mornings before the world wakes, late nights, and oftentimes all night, fobbing off distractions and knowing when to say no to external demands irrespective of who makes the demand.
Only the creative knows what matters most.
Allow the self to enjoy one’s own company away from the work to fine tune the energy and inner wellness of the mind and body without the noise of mental chatter. The creative soul needs that one-on-one with the self. Decide if this one-on-one with the self should be a weekly, fortnightly or monthly date. Go out for coffee with yourself. Take a walk on the beach alone. Human gregariousness is always there to pick up when the time is right.
Work and life…life and work are indistinguishable for the dedicated creative
Have you ever set a date with yourself? Go to your favourite place once a week, alone, for a month and journal your thoughts and feelings. Something that might surprise you is that you will return after each date teeming with ideas for a new project. Time out is beneficial for productivity—the energy and freshness ignite thinking outside the four walls of a writing/creative/workplace space.
Fill the creative well with some time out.
Never be afraid, or think it selfish to enjoy your own company—you are your own best friend, number one in your tribe.
Just as we free-write in our journals every day, that private time with intimate words on a page—quite a different energy to drafting a manuscript—in the same vein, getting out of a regular creative space be it in an office at home, or elsewhere, is a self-made retreat for the creative spirit. Going AWOL for a day is liberating for creative energy, for all energy! Try it!
Make a date with number one. Enjoy your own company and return blessed and refreshed.
It is with great joy today that I travel on the blog from Sydney to Washington to feature the inspirational Keshni Washington who I met through an introduction from a respected and trusted mutual acquaintance. I have had the privilege of attending a virtual screening of ‘Immigrant Story Telling Night’ with Keshni Washington and speakers on the night who shared their honest, authentic, lived experiences as immigrants.
Regardless of where we reside in the world, the connection is palpable.
Author – Keshni Washington
My ten questions introduce Keshni’s life and work in Washington DC as a writer and compassionate person, living, working, and contributing to DC society with a strong connection to her South African roots.
1.What is your most vivid memory of South Africa?
I miss those perfect hot dry Joburg summer evenings, the smoke of a braai (bbq) with friends and the clear skies and stars. Along with this memory, I also miss the taste of Koo baked beans and South African mayo potato salad.
2. Did you move to Washington for work?
Yes, I was recruited from South Africa to work for an international non-profit that is based in Washington DC. I had never been to the USA before coming through for the interviews. I worked there for 8 years but have been trying my hand at being an entrepreneur for the past year.
3. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I can remember composing the opening to my first book when I was 11 on the walk to and from school in Chatsworth, Durban. But I was soon discouraged and advised to do something more financially rewarding that would secure my future – I grew up in an apartheid segregated neighborhood and so being able to support yourself and others financially was a natural priority. I put away the dream until decades later in life. Coming back to it about 5 years ago, reaffirmed the feeling inside me, that this is what I was meant to do, and I know I will be telling stories for the rest of my life. I have been learning and honing my skills and now have two draft novels.
4. Tell us about your ‘Signal Fire Series’ podcast and what motivated you to do it.
I wanted to fuel my own fires of inspiration by talking to some of the people that inspire me about their journeys and glean some of their wisdom. I realized quickly that these conversations could do the same for others out there, whatever their passion. Since I have deep roots in South Africa, I decided to host conversations with both Americans and people from my first home. It has been an expansive experience, in which I have found a new admiration for every single person’s journey, whether they pursue their passion in their spare time or full time. It’s my offering, and I hope the person who needs it will find their connection and inspiration.
5. Please share your recent publishing success and writing motivation.
Published in Yellow Arrow Literary Journal
I have recently had short pieces/essays published in American literary journals: Yellow Arrow Literary Journal, Mer Vox Quarterly and Pen-in-Hand Literary Journal. I have also been fortunate to attend two writing workshop intensives – VONA (Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation) with author Daniel Jose Older and Tin House Writing Workshop with author Alaya Dawn Johnson.
Keshni Washington’s favorite writing spaces where a cup of South African Rooibos tea is served at the Jamaican Tea Shop in DC.
Sunday street-side cafe
Espresso and mini cake
Writing at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
Jamaican Tea Shop in DC
6. What genre do you enjoying reading the most?
This is hard to narrow down as I read just about everything. When I was young, I was obsessed with science fiction. When I got older, I gravitated to literary fiction and poetry. Over the past year, I have been reading a lot of YA as my latest novel is a YA novel, which has been a ton of fun.
7. Tell us about Tin House, and the experience you have gained/are gaining.
Tin House is an American publisher of award-winning books of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; home to a renowned workshop and seminar series; and partner of a critically acclaimed podcast, Tin House champions writing that is artful, dynamic, and original.
The writing workshop consists of a series of small classes of no more than eight writers per class, so spots are limited. I got to work with the amazing Alaya Dawn Johnson. As part of the selection process, I submitted the first three chapters of my book, and these chapters were critiqued during the workshop by both my classmates and my workshop leader. All my classmates were critiqued this way. It was an invaluable opportunity for feedback and discussion. I had one-on-one meetings with Alaya and a literary agent who gave me feedback on my query letter. There were many amazing craft lectures by the faculty, generative exercises, and discussions about the publishing industry. We had the opportunity to do a reading from our work and mingled with other amazing writers attending and teaching at the workshop. It was an intense but invaluable experience.
8. When did KAMA DC start and what is your role at KAMA DC?
I first found Kama DC when I signed up to participate in their Immigrant Story-Telling Night. (where immigrants share a five-minute story from their experience on the theme of the night.) I have since stayed with Kama DC as a volunteer – part of the Storytelling team. Kama DC is a nonprofit in the DC area, run by volunteers, whose mission is to build community through immigrant-led experiences, providing a platform for immigrants to teach classes, share stories and their skills and passions to foster awareness, understanding and community. I also inaugurated and now run the @immigrantsOftheDMV Instagram feed, which is similar to Humans of New York in that we invite immigrants on the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area to do a takeover – hold the handle and share a bit about their story, home country, and experiences in the USA. It is a wonderful group of people and I am immensely proud to be a part of this mission.
9. What has been most inspirational about your semester of Creative Writing at GW?
During this semester we get to learn from published author Cutter Wood. It is focused on creative non-fiction aka essays, and how to write our true stories. As my self-study has been focused on fiction and novel writing for many years it’s wonderful to develop this different writer muscle. It is a small class of 13 people. We write a new piece every week, so I have to dig around in my memories and experiences and create something on a schedule. And the best part is sharing in class and getting to grow through the experiences and creations of the wonderful writers in my class.
10. If there is one piece of advice that you would share with young aspiring writers, what would it be?
To just start. Just write. Whether you think it’s imperfect or feel you are not ready. Just write. Put your fingers to the keyboard, or your pen to paper today, start journaling today. You are not too young nor too old. Just write. You will get better by doing, I guarantee this. But you must start, the world needs your stories.
With gratitude and best wishes to the inspirational Keshni Washington for sharing her creative journey, life and work in Washington DC.
Vanity, Pride and Ego – same family, different personalities, different agendas.
All three will have a negative impact if riding this wave is all that matters. It drains creative energy.
Vanity exudes a hollowness in its overindulgence on self, achievements, and appearance, etc. It is external.
Where does the artist sit on the pedestal of vanity?
One voice says, nowhere. Another asks, how will a receptive audience to the art be found if vanity is tossed aside? Vanity needs an audience. But, should it be at the cost of dominating one’s passion and purpose?
The muse, divine grace, or however inspiration is perceived, is not invited by vanity. Mother Muse is not needed, as narcissistic vanity, knows it all, and celebrates personal achievements, with no filter, in every waking moment, in multiple ways. I and me overshadow growth by ignoring the voices that have much to teach and share in learning new ways. The achievement has a use-by-date if not allowed to grow and expand in new and varied ways.
Then pride prods, ‘Look at me, I have published my book, or sold my artwork! I’m so excited!’ This has a ring, different to vanity. It’s internal, it is joy over what the artist has created. Children are invited to take pride in their work, push themselves to achieve their personal best. This level and definition of pride is a healthy option. Pride reflects reality, it’s a joyous reaction to having achieved a goal. There’s a dignity in the self-esteem and self-respect that comes with this type of pride. Because pride is internal, when injured, it could create feelings of worthlessness. Which do we prefer? Known for vanity or having a sense of pride? Pride may breed feelings of superiority if unchecked, and released often outside the inner glow of accomplishment.
Then there’s ego, ‘Oi! look at me and all I have achieved. I am the best in my game.’ Remember the id, ego, and superego in a Psychology 101 class? It might be necessary if marketing one’s wares, but with ego comes the threat of overzealous self-importance – conceit. Not a favourite in any working, social, or home environment.
To succeed in what we do, we need balance. The ability to know and understand who we are, and how we are received is vital to acceptance for a sense of belonging to promote mental and emotional wellness.
When acceptance and belonging thrive, productivity increases.
Balance in everything is vital to how social perceptions are influenced
It leaves the question, is ego, overblown pride? And what of vanity? Is it a wild show pony craving an adoring audience, or the unrestrained expression of pride and ego?
Now, there lies the dilemma.
Be proud of your creative work, yes? Avoid ego and vanity? Over-inflated expressions of self run the risk of sitting on the precipice of love and revulsion. What is the artist’s choice to be?
Shakespeare’s timeless tales tell us that hubris and hamartia lead to a character’s downfall. Lear’s, ‘Which of you shall we say doth love us most’, albeit being an aging man, he might be perceived as vain in wanting to hear his three daughters’ undying adoration for him before he divides his kingdom among them.
The past year of profound change where retreating was not a choice but a necessity, turned the eye inward in this time of social incarceration—a springboard for creative pursuits.
Poetry, stories, art, music, new skills in any area of the vastness of possibilities, bring courage to those who stand in the shadows, voiceless and afraid to be seen or heard.
With the external locked out to preserve life, the inner voice raises its head, looks around and mulls over hidden possibilities. Heed the message. We need action to claim the creative possibility within grasp.
Embrace the stillness to find what a fast-paced life has stymied. With materialistic desires placed on the back-burner, an almost magical transformation emerges.
Simplicity grows courage and innovativeness
We learn from our forebears who with flintstones created fire, almost two million years ago. Today we have so much more at our fingertips.
The past spent bemoaning being time-poor is a state of mind. Creating space, both in time and place, waters the creative spirit with a thirst to innovate—encourage the spirit, and mind to seek something new.
Tip in a toe, test the waters by reading more and much more, find your tribe to encourage confidence, dive in, one stroke at a time! Feel the warmth of submersion generated from praise and acknowledgement.
Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties ~ Erich Fromm
Planning is paramount and being flexible with the plan is equally important. Creativity flows freely when intentions are set, then the ground-work seeps in. Like the earth requires conditions to grow—sun, soil, and water, so too the creative prepares the way forward, add in basic equipment needed, one step at a time.
The indisputable thing with creativity is that once begun, ink, paint or music flows in generous abundance if invited in.
In a time of retreating from global, awaken the creative spirit by the choices made.
What will we let go to allow the creative muse to take up residence with us?
Know our passions, doggedly pursue them, and find the healing in creative pursuits.
May 2021 be the year of finding or growing and deepening our creative wells.
Happy Creating.
Stay Safe.
Please like and share to spread creative love.
What are your thoughts on inviting creative space into our lives?
Brevity is not only the soul of wit, but the lifeblood of today. Now— the immediate, matters in a world where nothing is constant.
Attention span flits in the blink of a second.
Words matter, live and linger…
The upswing in the unquenchable thirst for poetry is a gratifying return to the appreciation of the poetic word and form. Poetry propels one on a light year’s journey into measureless realms. It delights and moves the human spirit with the evocative and provocative choice of words, themes, shape and style.
Haiku is short, so brief that every word tells a story to leave its inscription on memory.
For the writer, (for me) haiku is inspiration, a deep but quick inhale and a rapid expulsion of observations and emotions. The effect is cathartic but unforgettable.
The on-tap, sharp and visual that bombard our senses every day, growing an ever-increasing need for quick satisfaction—that adrenalin rush akin to a gym workout.
The economy of life’s necessities gives haiku breath in a world juggling too many balls, where survival is a luxury.
Haiku, originally a seventeen syllable (5-7-5) three-line structure poem was predominately about nature—weather, animals, plants, and changing seasons. Traditionally the Japanese form was the opening of a longer poem, serving as a haiku introduction to the composition.
Variations to the original 5-7-5 syllables are widely used by poets in the modern world to capture values, love, life’s challenges, and varying themes beyond the natural world.
Writing might simmer in the novice writer’s subconscious, afraid to put words on a page, or perhaps a manuscript sits half-written or complete, but safely locked in a desk drawer or tucked away in the garage under a heap of stuff.
Are you that person?
Risk 1: Creative Exhilaration
Taking the first creative risk is writing the story or poem that dwells in the mind’s hinterland.
Then pursuing the idea through to completion is the time risk invested to get to ‘the end.’ This is the honeymoon period. Bliss reigns as a generous muse massages words
Risk 2: New Eyes on the Page
The most daunting risk is getting an extra pair of eyes to read those beloved, private words. This could go horribly wrong if fresh eyes are inclined to be super critical about EVERYTHING.
The novice writer is a sensitive soul in need of validation. A poor selection of new eyes could end a potentially stellar career. Then again, choosing new eyes as your significant other, carries the risk ramifications that over validates, or liberally criticises, and possibly risks ‘the end’ to the union!
New eyes on new words should be benevolent in first congratulating the timid scribe on getting that far, then comment on the story, and throw in a few suggestions, expectations, and gently draw attention to plot holes that might exist.
Risk 3: Who will edit?
Choosing an editor who is the right fit for a novice writer has its risks that could go either way. Choose wisely, ask and check out vetted individuals through organisations such as ALLi, or trusted fellow authors in finding the right match that assures writing longevity.
Nobody’s perfect
Image Credit: Mohammed Hassan (Pixabay)
If a novice is averse to professional feedback then the red flag goes up, and it’s best to consider whether the risks taken to get this far will be worth risking much more, or if it’s time to hand in the pen.
To be a successful writer, lock ego in the desk drawer or stash it under the rubbish in the garage, or better still, scrub it out of existence.
It is imperative to observe and listen to the safe, knowledgeable advice of those who do it well and successfully so. This applies to anything in life. In publishing, it is necessary to do so.
Be authentic, be unique, but know the ropes.
Take risks with an open mind. Push boundaries but know when to ponder the road ahead.
The journey is not over yet, there is the risk of whether the general reading public will love or loathe a close to the heart piece of literature.
When fear is overcome, it steels the novice (for a while – NB creatives are sensitive beings) to continue dipping a toe into the world of writing and publishing.
Risk 4: Publishing
There are many ways to get your words out into the world, so carefully consider the risk of giving up all the rights of a creative endeavour that spanned many days and nights, the ultimate sacrifices made to get to the grand finale before the decision to hand over blood, sweat, tears, and other emotional hooks.
Protect your rights, know your rights.
Risk you must, for unheard stories to be told, leave your legacy — stories have value, but choose your tribe wisely.
George Orwell in his essay, Why I Write:
‘In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible.’
Best wishes, always!
Happy Reading, Happy Writing!
Where are you now in your writing dreams?
Please share, and leave a comment to help a fearful novice step out in the right writing shoes.
As creatives, we are flexible in what we do if we are steering the vessel.
A sense of place and time is important to the creative, but in the unpredictability of current times, adapting to everything that comes our way is daunting.
Patience is the ultimate virtue in a creative life. Nothing happens overnight, now more than ever, with all that blew in with 2020.
It is the slow burn that needs a tender mind, hand and heart
Amidst waiting for the right time, there is the desire for the energy of the muse to enlighten the artist on how much, when, and what will be written/created. This wait is underpinned by the bend and twist of the tide of change that tests adaptability.
Shifting an established creative routine generates a splurge of musings when the noise and demands of new daily expectations receive attention.
A daily meeting with oneself in morning reflections on what is and is not working facilitates the coming to terms with how to create a new routine.
Reflection is the art of patience that sharpens the creative pen.
The writing muse happily visits if the mind is willing.
Patience takes hard work; it sits on the back of perseverance — one without the other is a no go.
To cultivate the art of patience, look at reactions/behaviours to situations outside of creativity, learn from it and readjust the behaviour. While patience is a virtue, it is also a personal inner medic, keeping creative work in check by allowing the body and mind to process situations without elevating stress levels.
Finding what calms and settles the creative is the best way to grow in being patient rather than becoming a patient.
The writing world is competitive enough without adding layers of undue stress — the art of writing is profoundly therapeutic.
After writing a scene or chapter, the sense of exhilaration that follows such achievement is remarkable. Journal these moments to refresh a reflective morning that needs a reminder about why we do what we do.
To be a writer, requires barrel-loads of patience in how to nurture a story from seed to flower, chip back words and scenes, polish to refine the story and then publish.
Patience, perseverance, and adaptability are the keys to creating more stories and poems as is refining before a book/product hits retail shelves.
Step back, let time and place do the work, relax overthinking and communication to create valuable space to refine the manuscript. This aspect of the creative zone has the potential for success, abundant success if that is the desire.
Be gentle and patient with yourself, persevere with your creative goals and adapt to the ever-changing demands of a writing and publishing life.
Go well in all your endeavours.
Share, like and commenton what works for you as a creative sailing through the winds of change.
Routine is necessary to accomplish a finished product. The creative benefits from a routine that maximises goals and intentions.
Rote, however, harms creative growth when curiosity is denied in favour of robotic daily ‘doing’ that limits the capacity and capabilities of the mind. Rote erodes enjoyment, takes the fun out of creativity if allowed to fester in mindlessness.
Once we relinquish the act of questioning, debating, and learning alternative ways, the creative quest goes down the rabbit-hole
Open to what others are doing successfully in their creative pursuits. Debate with the self, first, to test how to improve our creative patterns and when we observe or flex to alternative methods, before embracing them, then we are on the route to extending the creative mind.
What we read is as significant as what we write. As a fiction writer, it is essential for me to move beyond restricting myself to only reading fiction.
Get out of the box – mind the bog
It is imperative that we read judiciously selected, respected successful forerunners of the craft of fiction—past and present—for inspiration on the ways in which we can flex the mind. Engaging with the information gathered is the actual flexing—then question what does not sit well. Argue why this is so, look for alternatives to the arguments that have surfaced. Never ignore your internal unrest without asking why and how. Why am I unsettled by this? How should I address why I feel this way? We learn to flex and extend our skills from observing first and then listening to what is around us. The inner well is deep, but testing the waters from the ocean of talent available deepens and brightens the path ahead.
The choice to extend ourselves is within our grasp to refresh or radicalise how we create. Flex to invite minor changes, analyse what is working for you, and incrementally extend to achieve more.
Like muscles that face a new physical challenge which is overcome by gradual flexing and extending, achieved through the art/act of trying—not rote, but being open to challenging the self, so too, the creative mind grows.
Photo Credit: My Life Through a Lens (Unsplash)
Creative and Critical
As creatives, we ought to be critical thinking beings—not cynical but critical. Herein is the source for debate to generate fresh waves of thinking and doing.
Watching a documentary, for example, on an unfamiliar topic that holds some interest is beneficial for starting the mindset extension with exposure to new knowledge. This opens inner and external debates that arise from the observation phase to grow the knowledge base and experience on the subject/topic.
Extend listening skills to enhance creative growth without visual distractions by listening to podcasts that present new knowledge to stimulate thinking without the bias of the visual effect. The brain rain received generates novel ways of thinking or questioning how we can reinvent old patterns.
Never stop asking why, how or what can I gain from this?
As fiction writers, we should seek to understand the values that differ from our own to invite creative ideas to emerge from this openness to what lies outside of our inner workings.
I ground my novels in, in our angst and joy we are one under the sky of humanity.’ Inclusivity is my pre-wired emotional mindset because I have lived my formative years under South Africa’s apartheid regime’s divisive rule.
Suggested Reading
Try reading all or extracts from the following non-fiction books to open new vistas of understanding, or to deepen your understanding of human relations, justice, and politics, if this is of interest.
Essays – George Orwell
The Source of Self-Regard– Toni Morrison
The End of Imagination – Arundhati Roy
Caste – The lies that Divide Us – Isabel Wilkinson
Pick up, or do something different—something you have never read or done before and observe, reflect and note by writing what it stirs within. Get past the initial discomfort then decide if you want to extend what you do and how you do it.
When we flex the mind in a new direction, there’s discomfort at first, when extended, it fuels passion and ignites creativity
How do you flex and extend the mind in your creative pursuits?
Being a people-pleaser often impedes the writing deadline. Some perceive writing as not a regular day, serious job, and expectations are that the writer is always available, because the writer is self-employed, locked in the head of imagination that does not,(by choice of some), demand a fixed workspace.
Write as a free-flowing creative. Be the rigid business manager
If we do not rectify this thinking, impositions on the writer’s free time could seriously hinder writing progress to the point of murdering the writing mojo.
Know when to say No
The writing mojo is temperamental and disappears if there’s no plan, the time and process wind up bending to the noise and demands that soon override it.
Being flexible is paramount to the creative
If the writing mojo is showing signs of being at risk — set down a plan and stick to it as far as possible. Achieve at least 80% of your daily or weekly goals with consistency to make a writing life productive.
A writing life incorporates many facets and significant among them is audience/reader engagement. To flourish in this career, and a career it is, if given every opportunity of serious intention, then it becomes that sweet spot of primary income or multiple streams of writing income – a way of life.
Turn off the phone – block the internet
Creating blocks of time to have regular hours that are not sidelined by the daily demands of life happens if there is a set plan.
Here are a few pointers to keep the writing mojo on an upswing.
• create a routine and stick to it as you would any day job • set the clock – have several /number of words per session/chapter a day goals • take your working day coffee and lunch breaks – remember ONE coffee break in the morning and ONE in the afternoon. • choose your most creative part of the day to get your words on the page. • leave your phone in another room, muted to avoid its cradle cry. • get some exercise – a walk outdoors for half an hour should get the mojo back on track • track monthly, weekly and daily productivity. • note potential distractions and cut them out. • the space you write in must be free of distractions – • no internet – no television – no phone. • have water and a healthy snack close by • learn to say: writing is my work life. • begin your day with a writing reflection, FREE Writing (Free, Raw, Exact and Easy) as Orna Ross, Founder of The Alliance of Independent Authors, teaches or writing morning pages as Julia Cameron advises in, The Artist’s Way – clear the cobwebs to open the creative path to your writing day.
Now, what is holding you back? Get to it with a further nudge from these inspirational lines:
If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word – Margaret Atwood
Without great solitude, no serious work is possible – Picasso
Like an ability or muscle, hearing your inner wisdom is strengthened by doing it – Robbie Gass
Inspiration may be a form of super consciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness — I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness – Aaron Copeland
Happy Writing, Happy Reading!
Best wishes.
Share your thoughts and ideas on how to avoid distractions in your creative day. Please like and share.
Where did you grow up? Do you think your background has colored your writing in any way?
I grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era. This horrendous annihilation of a sense of authentic self, visibility and acknowledgement, features in and through my novels in shaping the necessity for inclusivity.
What developed your interest in the suspense genre?
I have always enjoyed Crime Fiction and taught Crime Fiction as an Extension English Course which further developed my interest in suspense/mystery/thriller/crime fiction.
What was that one moment in your life when you realized that you wanted to write?
I was a closet writer for almost ten years and never thought of publishing my work until I read Stephen King’s On Writing and that pushed me over the threshold with my debut novel, Across Time and Space, followed by its sequel, Vindication Across Time.
How has been your experience of working as a teacher in South Africa and Australia in secular and non-secular institutions?
With the Group Areas racial segregation in South Africa, the schools I taught in were largely of my demography. My Australian teaching experience has been diverse, but regardless of the geographic location, the time and space, as it were, students are similar in their love of learning or in their need of motivation to learn. Socio-economic status does not make an iota of difference in a student’s capacity to learn or to soar to great heights.
When did you publish your website, Mala Naidoo’s Book World?
My website was published to coincide with my first book being published in 2017.
Who inspired the character of Viola Bardo in “Aurora Days”?
Viola Bardo is a music teacher and vigilante justice seeker — she is a figment of my imagination although her name was drawn from Shakespeare’s Viola in his play, Twelfth Night.
How was the idea for The Sisters Helping Sisters Organisation (SHSO) in “What Change May Come” developed?
The need for safe houses with the ever increasing global threat to women in toxic relationships spurred me to create such a fictional organisation to serve the diverse characters in Chosen Lives and What Change may Come.
Would you be friends with someone like Dr Grace Sharvin from “Souls of Her Daughters” in real life?
Absolutely! She has phenomenal strength and vulnerabilities that make her endearing as a compassionate being both personally, and as head of ER at City Hospital. A wonderful friend indeed.
Which is your favorite story in “The Rain”?
This is a difficult question because I love them all. Every story was written during a week of torrential rain in Sydney so I feel I have lived through each one of the stories. The title story, The Rain is a favourite.
What was your favorite part, and your least favorite part, of the publishing journey?
Writing and seeing my book in hand is the favourite part, as is seeing the cover for the first time. Sending my manuscript to strangers in the publishing world and waiting for a response was a nail-biting experience.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I write a haiku on any topic that comes to mind and then dive into my novel writing.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I have to let the flow of the story guide the pen. It’s almost like being held hostage by the story when the characters dictate their actions.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
A dedicated group of readers will drop me a line about something they connected with in any one of my novels or respond to a blog post I might put out that holds appeal for them.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
An online platform of authors through The Alliance of Independent Authors such as Orna Ross and Joanna Penn are great mentors and recently interacting with Brenda Mohammed has been great .
What is your takeaway based on your experiences with AllAuthor?
A very friendly highly active service that I felt a connection to almost immediately.
We have read it and heard it repeated everywhere we look and listen.
Change is — has been — will impact all facets of life. The current global change that has claimed 2020 has challenged the ‘do I dare?’ mindset of the creative. The muse is a sensitive soul. She feels the angst as deeply as the joy — inspiration is derived and mined from this seat — gold mined!
Health crisis, economic crisis, the uncertainty of life, the fear of not so much the outdoors but whether we can trust that everybody is doing the right thing.
For how long must we entertain fear as it enslaves us by forfeiting joy?
The creative forges on to leave the carbon footprint of these challenging times.
Dare and dare again and the muse shall heed the call.
The creative day, if allowed to slide, is a difficult one to recover but is possible with the determination of, ‘I will dare.’
TS Eliot’s poem, The Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock. conveys the uncertainty of modern times where ‘normal’ becomes unusual. Images of desolation pervade his poem:
Like a patient etherized upon a table/Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,/The muttering retreats
This echoes the current emotional and scientific uncertainty we face.
The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Eliot’s raw emotions capture the universal angst of his time where rapid economic and technological advancement changed his perceptions of life. And the yellow fog of uncertainty seeps into 2020 rising, falling …
The natural outcome is to be perplexed but navigation to the new normal through introspection is vital.
The pen is the mighty memory of our time, of all times, and writing must go on as must art and music and all creative pursuits.
In the making as creatives, writers, artists, we share a universal experience in that it is normal to be afraid, and it is brave to dare by creating new worlds that either mirror the present or transport us to worlds we dream of. In dreaming we bring those hopeful worlds into the conscious mind of the reader/audience who in turn subconsciously works towards making that dreamed, hopeful world, a new reality.
The writer’s pen will never dry or fade — words speak into the future from the past bringing meaning and understanding that this too shall pass.
The human condition is live with the possibility for new stories to be told, poems to be written, songs to be sung and paintings to be created to articulate and quell all fear.
Do I dare, and do I dare, — oh yes, we must, to make this life the best life we have had the courage to dream into our reality!
Today step forward — leave the fences and backyards of your mind and speak of your fears, insecurity, and uncertainty through artistic expression.
Take a chance. Live your passion.
This is a time for you to be YOU in all that you do without the fear of judgement.
Happy writing. Happy creating. Happy daring to channel your way forward for a life free of angst with the promise of joy.
Writing a trilogy is not how I began writing, Souls of Her Daughters. The ending brought on an extension to the lives of Grace and Patience, and as the muse requested two more tales were born ending in the grand finale of, What Change May Come. The second book, Chosen Lives, picks up from Patience’s mission shrouded in mystery, and suspense when the aircraft she travels in disappears, followed by time tense revelations and heart-stopping fulfilling thriller magic!
enthrals with mystery and suspense ~ engaging and addictive ~ exhilarating… oozes with deep passion ~
~ Goodreads
The present trilogy in the making was planned. Book 1 of The Bardo Trilogy, Aurora Days, was released in April 2020 and Book 2 is scheduled for an October/November release. Book 3 will follow in the first quarter of 2021. And poetry beckons, egging me on with each publication. Hence Viola is also a closet poet! Stories crafted will always borrow some aspects from the writer’s world.
1
2
3
entrances and entertains… epic tale of courage, love and peril ~ Goodreads
Lessons learned in writing a trilogy are keeping a tight track on characters, places, time, and events. While for the most part, I am a panster, I do plan on Scrivener and shift and rearrange as each idea emerges. The glory of Scrivener is a necessary asset in a writer’s toolkit!
Sometimes the protagonist’s trajectory takes on a different path than originally envisioned. This is the power of independent creative choices — a freedom to chop or sustain at will.
Creative freedom is the stuff dreams are made of!
The Bardo Trilogy revolves around a family mystery in the life of PI Viola Bardo, schoolteacher extraordinaire with music in her heart and justice in her soul. Family relationships are a keen part of both my trilogies as are hidden secrets that connect to my thriller edge.
Changing locations is a wonderful way to revisit places I’ve been to in grounding the story.
While all this is in the making, a new venture beckons as an epic once-off or standalone novel on a family saga. The title came to mind first and pieces are emerging on that idea. Currently, I run two journals, something I have not done with my backlist publications. It has been largely one book at a time.
I am allowing the creative spirit to bite whichever way it wants so while the second book in The Bardo Trilogy is given priority, I am jotting down ideas as they appear on a new vision. I have taken on board Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice in ‘Big Magic’ — if you don’t pick up the stories coming to you, someone else will.
The muse will nudge the writer with her private messages when a story must be told.
The new venture beckoning will shift and change with time and no deadline is on the horizon for that yet. But it will be created as it comes.
I don’t intend on leaving Viola Bardo in the wings because she has many more revelations for the reader.
Keeping track of all that the divine muse dispenses is the best way forward.
You must be logged in to post a comment.