Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which awaits always before or behind.
The Human Touch: a Micro-Story Challenge
This week I have been reminded about the goodness of humanity and kindness of strangers.
Any moment now, the funeral will start for little Nina, who passed away just over a week ago. As my son was born with a heart defect that required open heart surgery earlier this year, I joined a parent heart defect group on Facebook. One of our mums unexpectedly lost her baby Nina after battling tremendously with Edward’s Syndrome, a gene disorder that creates major heart abnormalities, amongst other things. While Nina would have been lucky to survive past 2 years of age, her mom has fought like a trooper for her daughter, amidst the abundance of hectic bills that come with a sick child.
We heard that this family could not fully cover the funeral costs of her child, and I could just not bear the thought of this family dealing with money at a time like this. Within 24 hours of a plea on Facebook we mostly likely sorted that out for them. I was blown away by the sheer kindness of people to do something for someone else in such pain with no thought and no recognition. To those who supported financially and with prayers, I am truly grateful.
As such, I decided that a stark departure from last week’s morose theme on war was necessary. Please check out this beautiful picture, and of course, if you click on the image below you will be taken to Pinterest so you can read my 500 character story based on this image. The only question is: are you going to write your 500 character story? Come on! Just do it!
Source: tumblr.com via Belinda on Pinterest
This Week’s Micro-Story Challenge – the War and the Roses
This week is an interesting Micro-Story Challenge. I went browsing the “History” category in Pinterest in an earnest search for something new and different for this week’s challenge. The images were disturbing – a vast array of moments in time caught on celluloid, conveying sweet irony, regret, hope, loss, fate, and of course, war. I felt overwhelmed by this deep emotion that I am not even sure what to label – perhaps the infinite sorrow of mankind would suffice? When I saw this famous picture taken on the 14th August 1945, of a celebratory kiss between two strangers in a chance embrace, I did not feel the jubilation of the celebration. I just felt sad. Ok, so enough emo to last all month…. 
Take a look at my more morose rendition this week by clicking on the picture below and reading my 500 character story, and then repin and write your own. Allow whatever you feel in this picture to move you, and apologies in advance if my more sombre contribution colours your view. Peace out.
Source: whatwasthere.com via Belinda on Pinterest
Micro-Story Challenge – Sunrise Serenade
Don’t you just love sunrises? They hold so much promise for the day and you feel that infinite possibility lies ahead. For me there is nothing more wonderful than sitting on a veranda or somewhere with a view, with a warm blanket and in a comfy chair, sipping your tea or coffee and watching the day gently come alive. Even on holiday I enjoy getting up that extra early for a sunrise. Sunsets don’t feel the same to me at all – they seem harder and more vibrant, yet promising of the silence that is to come.
Inspired by sunrises I found this picture for this week’s Micro-Story Challenge. There is so much that can be read from it – is too holds so much promise. What do you see? What image or story pops into your mind?
Click on the picture below and take a look at my 500 character story, and then repin and write your own. Let’s serenade the dawn together!
Source: sabino.tumblr.com via Belinda on Pinterest
Lessons in Writing a Novel – Part 9 – Getting By With a Little Help from Friends
By now you are no doubt aware that I have been writing a series of articles on my experiences of writing the first draft of my first novel in NaNoWriMo 2011. NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organisation that supports us crazy people to madly write 50,000 words in the month of November every year. With the 2012 NaNo just around the corner, I wanted to share with you the last two articles of this series so that we can get fired up for putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) with wild abandon on the 1 Nov.
Writing 50,000 words in one month is a challenge. You only realise just how hard it is when you actually get there, staring the multitude of words required square on in the face. This is especially challenging if you are full time employed as you need to make a plan to cut into private time to get it done. Depending on your own habits, that might mean getting up at 5 am to get a couple of hours in before work or at night once everyone has gone to bed. One of the biggest lessons I learned on how to achieve a successful NaNo is the support you need to get you there.
Let’s start with your immediate family. If you live alone and have no children, then all is good. There are no distractions and responsibilities. Yet you miss having someone push you and root for your success. If you do have a family, yet they do not support you to achieve this wonderful goal you will feel like the month is a battle instead of being fun. I was blessed to have a husband who wanted me to succeed. Every night when I was coming up with reasons why I should watch TV for just that little bit longer (“Just 5 more minutes!?”) he would put his foot down and send me off to write. I hired him a huge pile of DVDs and in the month I think he worked through about three seasons of “House”. If you are keen to do NaNo then I really advise you to look closely at your home environment and plan how you can make this work for you.
The other big win for me in 2011 was that I found a writing buddy. My friend Heidi had long shared my dream of writing fiction and had a project she wanted to work on. We agreed to push each other and it worked. Every night one of us would text the other to say how many words we had done or how we were dreading the night of writing. Our competitive natures got the better of us and it really helped to get me going when I really did not want to. I think that this fun and supportive connection really made the difference for me. As I face NaNo 2012 I know that I need this support in order to succeed.
From an online perspective, there is fantastic support to be found through the regional and city NaNo support groups. They host write-ins and there is always an interesting conversation to participate in on the forums. At the end of NaNo we celebrate by gathering together and sharing our war stories. Twitter also bursts into life with NaNo activity and is a wonderful way of feeling connected to others on the same path, yet can be a horrible distraction when you are looking for it.
Perhaps the biggest area of support comes from something else entirely. No matter what your belief and religious/spiritual views may be, the creation process is one of co-creation. I have written about this in a previous instalment in this series. Our creativity, hard work and sweating effort allows something to flow through us. Call it energy, God, quantum reality, or whatever, you can feel it when it is flowing. It is exhilarating and excites every cell in your body with, “You are vibrant. You are alive with possibility.” If we try to write without this connection, we really are lost. You can easily see in your writing where it is your mind creating convoluted plotting versus a flow that is symbolic, deep and powerful.
This co-creation process is like a bio-feedback loop. As we swim in the quantum soup so do we experience an interaction with our environment, if we are open to it. I experienced this as shocking signs of evidence that my world, my quantum matrix, was engaging with me in my desire to create through words. As an example, at the celebration of the end of NaNo, I was sitting outside telling my friend Heidi about how I used music to get me through, one performer in particular, whose CD I listened to over and over throughout the month. Literally one minute later this same performer walked past me. Clunk (sound of my jaw hitting the table).
The signs and symbols that you are connected to help beyond what you can imagine are all around you. If you are contemplating doing NaNo this year, then just do it. It will change you. The creative process will change you. Ask for help, rally your friends and family, and be open to the co-creation process it brings.
PART 1: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/05/28/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-1/
PART 2: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/06/04/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-2/
PART 3: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/06/21/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-3/
PART 4: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/06/29/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-4/
PART 5: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/08/01/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-5/
PART 6: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/08/07/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-6-the-discipline-of-time/
PART 7: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/08/14/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-7-words-of-silence/
PART 8: http://belindadoveston.com/2012/08/28/lessons-in-writing-a-novel-part-8-performance-anxiety/
Gastronomy Inspiration – Micro-Story Challenge
This week has been one of culinary and gastronomic overload, with my husband and I catering a 6 course MasterChef style dinner to celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday with a total of 11 people. Needless to say we are completely kaput and the Micro-Story Challenge fell off my Thursday radar! It felt fitting then to include this picture for this week’s challenge. If you like, I can let you know what was on the menu. Just comment and I will reply.
Click on the picture below and take a look at my 500 character story, and then repin and write your own. Come on. I dare you!
PS: This picture was taken in 1948. And no, I did not wear such an outfit for Wednesday evening’s dinner!
Source: tumblr.com via Belinda on Pinterest
Into the Deep – This Week’s Titanic Micro-Story Challenge
Like most people, I am fascinated by the Titanic. My imagination is captivated by the ghostly underwater pictures of luxurious Turkish baths, ballrooms and the grandeur of a bygone era. I am especially curious about what that experience must have been like for survivors and non-survivors alike. In some ways it haunts me. When I found this picture of the Titanic, 1912, I knew this had to be the next Micro-Story Challenge. The movie put such clear images into our minds that it is quite tough to escape them and find something new. So I challenge you to tap into something new and unusual about a story we seem to know so well.
Click on the image and it will take you to my Pinterist account where you can read my micro-story – repin the image and write your story in your caption. I will take a look and share my thoughts on your post.
Near, far, wherever you are….
Source: pickurselfup.tumblr.com via Belinda on Pinterest
The 500 Character Micro-Story Challenge – Dark Beauties
I love this image – it has such mood and potential for so many varieties of meaning. I felt drawn to it for this week’s Pinterest Micro-Story Challenge, so I hope you enjoy it too. As you might have noticed I select a different image every Thursday, post it on Pinterest and write a 500 character story about that image that attempts to capture a moment in time. Each one of us will see something entirely different, and so different stories emerge. I encourage you to activate your creativity and give the challenge a go – what 500 character story comes to mind when you see this?
I find that sometimes I still have no idea what it is about until after the second sentence is down. If you can trust that you might not know what the story is before you start, then you might be surprised when it pops up along the way. I have experienced this same phenomenon in longer writing projects. Just start, and the inspiration will come. I see these exercises as a writer’s version of piano scales. The more you practice, the easier it is to be concise, descriptive yet also tapping into deep emotional metaphors.
Click on the image and it will take you to my Pinterist account where you can read my micro-story – repin the image and write your story in your caption. I will take a look and share my thoughts on your post.
Looking forward to it!
Source: imgfave.com via Belinda on Pinterest
Pushing Your Writing Boundaries
Whether you are doing so professionally or for leisure, writing is a path that demands rapid learning. From technique, subject matter to creative flow, there is always something new to learn. When you start to feel you are mastering a particular aspect and are tempted to relax, beware. It is either time to expand your boundaries even further or to prepare yourself for a big lesson barrelling down the karmic path.
My work in non-fiction reminds me of my consulting days a lot. As a business analyst you have only a few days to interview all the experts in the business unit, and just a couple of weeks to translate that knowledge into detailed processes and business models that accurately reflect back what that business unit does. Sometimes in a mere few weeks you understand a business or division better than its own team. This ability to quickly assimilate, categorise and conceptualise information has been invaluable in my work helping authors bring their books to life. The learning curve is hectic. You literally have to step into their world and absorb through osmosis their knowledge and expertise, as well as the way they talk, verbal quirks and their creative process. It really is a fascinating journey of discovery that can step up your knowledge to a whole new level, and quickly.
While this kind of writing definitely pushes your boundaries, the important question to ask is, which boundaries? Choosing which project you take on is critical in being specific on the kinds of experiences you want and the development you need. At the heart of this is being clear on your writing goals. While it may be tempting to do something you know well, this does not push the envelope. That being said, always tackling new subjects without being able to leverage your existing knowledge will most likely result in tons of knowledge and little forward momentum. The best option in my opinion is one where you can add value through your own experience, yet at least somewhere within you feel that mild case of panic and “I am not sure I can do it.” That is the sweet spot.
Ongoing education is also vital as a writer. As Stephen King says in his book On Writing: Memoirs of a Craft, grammar, style and technique are tools in your virtual tool belt. Being a writer requires that you know and use your tools well. I am currently studying with the Writers Bureau, and even though we are on the non-fiction part of the course (and theoretically in my zone), every assignment brings stunning revelations and opportunities to learn just how much there is to learn! In this vain, one of my biggest eurekas has been the realisation of the positive impact fiction writing has had on my non-fiction. Suddenly there is texture, richness and symbolism that was not there before. Without stepping outside my comfort zone to learn new skills this would not have been possible.
And then there are the actual tools you use to write. I am one of those people who cling for dear life onto the known tools that work, reluctant to let go of the tried and tested. I have recently ventured into using Scrivener for writing, taking a very bold step away from my crutch, MS Word. It is just something I know I need to do, and I have a feeling it will be a step well rewarded down the line. My legs feel a bit shaky about venturing outside my comfort zone, but if I don’t push the boundaries, how will I ever know what is possible.
To New Heights – This Week’s Micro-Story Challenge
Last week we had our cup of tea and drank it too. This week we boldly go where a few have been already – to the top of Everest. I felt like playing with a natural symbol this week, hence the beautiful picture of the Great Dame. Mountains truly are a powerful inspiration for us, so I hope you enjoy my micro-story and are inspired enough to write your own 500 character version. If this is new to you, a micro-story is a challenge inspired by Pinterest and the powerful message of the visual. Every week I post a different picture to challenge you (and myself) to write your own 500 character story on something about the image. Anything! Each one of us will see something different. This is the magic.
Click on the image and it will take you to my Pinterist account where you can read my micro-story – repin the image and write your story in your caption. I will take a look and share my thoughts on your post.
Climb high!
