The Voice

Good morning one and all. It's Monday and it's voice day. The day I have set aside to discuss the writer's voice.

I think the experience of writing different types of materials and genres helps you learn where your strengths and weaknesses lie, as far as your natural writing ability.

I have a varied experience and I have come to realize that some come more naturally than others to me. I am not suggesting though that I only focus on the genres that feel easier or seem to flow better. I think that would be limiting my development. A well-rounded writer, or any professional, should step outside their comfort zone sometimes to broaden their experience.

The short story class I am in does push the limits of my experience. I hadn't written a short story since high school when I wrote one for this class. Obviously it showed. The characters were underdeveloped and the story was too flashy, in other words the subtlety of language and atmosphere were missing, but that doesn't really matter. The class has opened my eyes to a whole different type of writing that I really don't have experience with.

I can tell that for the other writers short story writing is equally challenging. I spent over three months working 40 hours a week before I was able to write high tech speak concisely and accurately. Why should short story writing be any different? I am coming to realize that any type of writing is just plain hard work. And that is what can easily be forgotten when you read a well-polished final product. Because a finished piece can read effortlessly, and isn't that really where the art of it lies.

I don't know if I am going to pursue writing short stories. Not because I don't think it's a valuable skill to learn, but because there are financial realities that I must pay attention to. I have a natural ability for writing creative non-fiction and children's fiction, so I think I will focus there. I still work for the high tech industry and that I enjoy because it is emotionless and challenging. (Everything can't be packed with emotion, I'd implode.)

The poetry I write for myself. I have started sending it out and if it gets published great, but that I do only for me and I like it that way. Maybe someday I will take a class in poetry writing but for now I just want that part of my writing to be mine.

Any experience, class, job, contract or assignment that you have will always broaden your experience even if it doesn't work out well or you don't get hired again or you do. That's not the point. Being in the moment with your work and doing your best in that moment is all you can do--and all anyone can ask of you.

Remember: The more risks you take, the luckier you become.

Open Forum

Happy Friday and welcome to open forum day.

The snow is finally starting to recede. I even saw some fringes of grass this morning. How hopeful that is! I also saw a bunny hopping around the backyards behind my own. It was a beautiful white-tailed rabbit with curious ears and beautiful gray fur. There was something so wonderfully innocent and hopeful about that curious little rabbit. I guess the Easter bunny really did arrive last weekend.

My son and I just stood there watching the little furry as it explored and encountered the neighbourhood black-and-white cat, the dogs living behind us and the world in general. Mr. Buns eventually went back to his home under the other neighbour's back deck.

I will make sure I put out not only seeds for the birds but some carrots and other nibblies for the rabbit as well. I've heard that rabbits like to snack just like writers do.

Have a great weekend one and all.

The Journey

Good morning one and all.

I had an Oprah aha moment last night that surprisingly had nothing whatsoever to do with my short story class. I wasn't in the mood to pick people's work to pieces last night so I didn't go. I ended up chatting with some women I know at the local pub and also ended up settling a score--of sorts.

I won't go into the story, but I do feel vindicated. I was able to tell off a guy that treated me badly in the past and I didn't do it with malice or even take any pleasure from it. It was just the right time for me to finally stand up for myself with this particular guy.

I now realize that he has no idea how poorly he treats women. He thinks women are nuts and that he has absolutely nothing to do with his own frustration and anger. He externalizes all his problems and, well, it's pretty sad really.

Anyway, I feel lighter after our confrontation. I haven't always been good at standing up for myself in the past. But now I realize that I'm a lot better at it!

It's taken me a while to get here and it feels great to know I can and will defend myself from now on.

This was definitely an aha moment for me!

The Mechanics

Good morning to you all.

It's mechanics day and today I am going to talk about the ellipsis (...).

With the current trend in trimming complex sentences into simple ones the ellipsis can be a welcome tool.

Here are some examples (in which you will see that the ellipsis can also be implied without the use of the...):

1. When the children were called to the dinner table they came to the dinner table immediately.
2. Harry Green had more coins in his collection than Thomas had coins in his collection.

In the above examples the sentences can be simplified:

1. When the children were called to the dinner table they came immediately. The words to the dinner table were omitted.
   
2. Harry Green had more coins in his collection than Thomas had in his. The words coins...collection were omitted.

These words can be omitted because this information is already available to the reader earlier in the sentences. If the reader is paying attention they will automatically supply the missing words from the context of the sentence.

This is a great tool because there is no loss of clarity and, as we all know as readers ourselves, repetitive words can make for very dull reading.

We omit information in our conversation with others all the time.

1. Leaving already? instead of Are you leaving already?
   
2. See you later. instead of I will see you later.
   
3. Coming? instead of Are you coming?

When we speak, being formal creates an emotional distance from the listener which, under certain circumstances makes sense, but very rarely.

Sometimes we do use the ... to denote a pause in conversation, the omission of information and even a page break (I use this in children's picture books a lot).

1. Dead! and...never called me mother.
2. Get the...out of here!

These are two examples where ... make sense and definitely add to the sentence.

One mistake that new writers make is that they use the...when they aren't quite sure what else to say or when they assume that the reader will understand what they mean. This is a big no-no!

There are some magazines that have written the ellipsis right out of their style guide saying its overuse has forced them to ban those three lovely dots...

That's unfortunate because they really can be very useful--if used correctly.

The Writer's Weekly

Good morning to all. On Tuesdays I usually write the writer's weekly, but since I've been caught up in motherdom for the last few days I haven't been focusing on writerdom.

Today is the last day of a very long Easter weekend, the EMSB has checked all its school roofs and school will start again tomorrow. I can imagine the collective sighs of relief this announcement has created. I will join all parents now in a sigh...ahhh...

So, I will have to force my brain around work tomorrow, but not today. I have a couple short stories I should read before my class tomorrow evening, but even these stories won't get the attention they should. Why? Quite simply, I have lost my focus. The word fragmented came up yesterday and it still applies.

I won't fight it. I have ideas percolating, waiting to come out on paper and I keep telling them: Tomorrow my babies, tomorrow.

Alexander Woolcott gives me strength on days like this: There's no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day.

Thank you, Alex. I choose to believe you. A demain.

The Voice

Good morning to you all.

It's a long weekend and I have simply been relaxing around the holiday. I think my son has had more time off than in school this month and my productivity is way down as a result. I guess March is family month this year.

I am not going to try and think of a writer's voice blog today. I thought I might go to the mall and do some shopping and then vacuum, you know long weekend kinda stuff. The schools are closed tomorrow too (Professional Day) so I'll likely be off to the movies and the arcade tomorrow afternoon.

I wish you all a great day and I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books.

I think I'll curl up with one myself!

Open Forum

Good morning all and Happy Friday!

My son has a hockey tournament this morning so I must be brief.

I feel better today and have mostly regained my footing after being dissected on Wednesday evening. I am no longer considering giving up being a writer and feel that I have gained more than I lost from the experience.

One of the most important things I learned was how to comment on other people's work with respect. I will always keep the image in my mind of sitting around that round table with everyone commenting on my work. The fear, the excitement, the sense of being under a microscope will never completely leave me. I think this is good!

As I continue on my journey as a writer and editor I will never forget what it felt like to be scrutinized. As my conversations with Anne have revealed, many writers avoid workshops like the one I'm in.

I realize that I tend to grow the most from situations that are the most challenging. That is me, however. I like pushing the envelope and being pulled somewhere a bit beyond my comfort zone. In that situation I find I become open to all sorts of ideas I might not have otherwise considered and being taken off guard does free me somehow. I become like a sponge and learn, learn, learn--then I move on.

I have decided to rewrite the story over the next couple weeks and see how that feels the second time around. I'm not sure I will ever be a short story writer, but I thought I'd give it a try while I'm surrounded by others.

Have a great long weekend everyone! See you on Monday.

The Journey

Good morning to you all. It's journey day.

Well, I was critiqued to death last night in my short story class. When we are in school we have one teacher critiquing our work in each class. Last night I had eleven writers--daunting for sure (you were right Anne)!

I was shell-shocked afterwards and found it hard to concentrate or even have a real conversation. I even messaged a friend of mine and said: Should I give up? I think I should. Well, that's all silly of course. I don't give up. Anyway, they liked my idea it just needs work. Fair enough.

I can just imagine what it's like to be in the public eye as an artist or actor. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!

Anyway, I survived.

The Mechanics

Good morning one and all.

Today is mechanics day and I am going to talk about the semicolon.

Honestly, it isn't a punctuation mark I use very often. It's a pause in strength somewhere between a comma and a colon, but despite its lack of popularity it does have its uses.

Semicolons can join words, word groups and sentences; separate word groups already containing commas (such as this sentence); restore order to sentences suffering from over-comma use and provide pauses before certain adverbs.

I want to talk about a couple examples Graham King uses in his Good Grammar book. I actually don't agree with the first one.

Here's the first example, "It was a beautiful car, moreover it was economical to run." Graham thinks it should be a semicolon not a comma, "It was a beautiful car; moreover it was economical to run."

He argues that you can hear the need for a more substantial pause than a comma can provide. Hmmm...'hear the need'? I don't agree in this sentence. They are only talking about a car.

If the sentence read, "It was a concise victory; moreover it was an end to the violence," then I could see the need for a stronger punctuation mark. Of course, in this instance Graham would probably suggest a colon so...I will agree to disagree.

I do agree with his second example, however, "Joe claimed he'd beaten the bookies on every race; nevertheless he was broke as usual when he left the track." I think I find the semicolon more useful here because the sentence contains more information. I wouldn't use a comma or a colon here.

I understand why George Orwell said semicolons can raise your blood pressure. Apparently in his book Coming Up for Air he didn't use a single semicolon. I understand why. I don't use them in my poetry or my fiction. I do use them in technical documents for lists and to put in a stronger pause than a comma will provide.

But as a punctuation mark I would only give it a 5 out of 10 for its usefulness. Aside from lists I think we could really do without it.

The Writer's Weekly

Good morning one and all.

Today is The Writer's Weekly day. A day for discussion of writers in the media.

I thought I would expand upon an idea I started yesterday.

What is the difference between fiction and creative non-fiction? This discussion was prompted by the number of authors that have recently been "found out.' They have lied in one way or another about the books they've written and this has irked their editors, publishers--oh, and Oprah (God forbid you ever disappoint her!).

So, why is the deception such a big deal?

Hmmm...good question. If Margaret Seltzer had truthfully sold her book as 'fiction' no one would have said boo. But she claimed it was a memoir, apparently because that's the only way she felt she could sell her book, and lied to everyone.

Did that change the quality of her writing? No.

Non-fiction is becoming increasingly popular and Ms. Seltzer may have been right. She wanted to sell her book and though her ways were unscrupulous, it worked.

I have a question though: Why does everything have to be put in a category? Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, mystery novels, classics, biographies, autobiographies...I can see it from a bookstore perspective, maybe it's easier to organize the shelves that way. But seriously, why not just put everything in order of author's last name and have done with it.

Our world is so focused on the need to label everything. And whatever is 'in' is always seen as better. There's a certain snobbery to it all that I just don't like and likely what Ms. Seltzer was reacting to. She was astute in knowing that a memoir would grab the attention of the editors, publishers and, yes, even Oprah.

But would her book have been any less real if she'd made it all up (which of course she did)? Didn't anyone see the irony of the situation? Everyone was moved, enthralled and so on by the book when they thought it was true (whatever 'true' is exactly), but when they found out it was fiction it lost all meaning for them...? What? That makes absolutely no sense.

What about all the other 'fiction' books that they've read that have changed their lives? Ah, there lies the irony! It was all about perception. When the editors, publishers and Oprah thought it was a real story they considered it of more value (and it has no more intrinsic value whatsoever). There lies the snobbery and the ego has come into it all.

When the book was perceived to be a true story everyone identified with the book and with the author. They had an emotional investment in the book that was then shattered when they found out it actually was fiction.

My opinion is this: They should have checked their egos at the door and accepted the book for what it is not what they wanted it to be!

Why are so many people lying to get their books published?

Because that's the only way they feel their books will ever get published, and you know what? I think they may be right.

The Voice

Good morning to you all on this bright and beautiful Saint Patrick's Day!

I am not one to wear green or attend the parade and though I have roots in the United Kingdom, as far as I know Irish isn't in me. (And I am pretty sure, with the Irish, Welsh just wouldn't count.)

Nonetheless, I will likely drop by my local and favourite bar this evening to put back a couple brews with the Irish-at-heart.

Today is the day I talk about the writer's voice and I thought a discussion about faking it would be timely.

There is an illusory quality about writing that is akin to acting. When you write from a certain perspective you are adopting a role. You sit down and put your head in a certain mind-space and that includes becoming the characters you are writing about.

And it doesn't matter whether they're male or female, Irish or African, or even beast, somehow we slip into the voice of those characters quite well.

Is it faking? Yes. I've never been a man (as far as I can remember) or African or anything other than what I am, so why can I do it? Why can I become someone else and pull it off? Why can any writer do it?

I have a theory (and am open to further theories). Any artist that takes on a role must be able to tap into the universe around them. Everything on this planet is interconnected and there are commonalities that run through us all. If we tap into these universalities and incorporate gender and culture (and anything else that's relevant) into the mix an authentic representation of a character can be born.

There is plenty of proof of this throughout literature. The woman I talked about a couple weeks ago, Margaret B. Jones, aka Margaret Seltzer, that wrote a false memoir about a life she certainly never even had a taste of is case in point.

Why were 'we' horrified by her flagrant deception?

My workshop leader asked a very good question: What is the difference between fiction and creative non-fiction? Hmmm...yes...

He felt that Oprah and others wanted to believe her story because it was a story of survival and made them feel as if others had also suffered and 'won.' Well, I agree.

I am not saying her motivations were correct (whatever 'correct' is) but the book is still what it always was. People felt betrayed by her and I understand that but she's still a good writer despite her deception. We have all fallen in love with, found courage from and hated fictional characters. So, is it such a stretch to realize that creative non-fiction is really fiction with some 'facts' mixed in.

Margaret B. Jones was her stage name and she was playing a role. Don't we all do that from time to time, such as when we sit down and write about a place we've never been to or a culture we are not part of?

Anyway, just something to think about.

Open Forum

Good morning to you all!

I have an appointment this morning so I must be brief.

I did not have any nightmares last night and the dreams I did have were weird but inconsequential.

One of the reasons for the nightmare was also the content of my short story. It is raw, fast-paced and disturbing and the other stories so far just hadn't been like that.

I checked my e-mail this morning to find that the second story was e-mailed to us last night. He opened the e-mail with "I hope this story isn't too disturbing or long for you," and after reading that my 'stress' about the meeting next week all but evaporated.

I was concerned that the other writers would submit stories that were more literary and mine definitely is not.

Anyway my fears have subsided and I am looking forward to reading the long, disturbing story from my workshop member.

Have a great weekend all and see you on Monday!

The Journey

Good morning one and all! It is no coincidence that it is journey day because I have definitely travelled as a writer.

I went to my second short story class last night and, never having experienced a class quite like that before, sat in silence for at least half an hour taking it all in ( and thinking I could still run if I chose to!). We devoted the first hour to one story and the second hour to the other. The stories were very different and the frank discussion of the first half hour overwhelmed me at first.

I listened to the other writers' comments and finally made some of my own. As I spoke I suddenly became part of the group, like another voice in the choir. I saw some things that the others hadn't and I realized I was expanding the knowledge of the group and I was relieved.

I hadn't realized that going to the workshop made me feel a little out of my comfort zone and, well, vulnerable!

I have been to seminars, workshops and have been critiqued extensively by other writers and editors under work situations, but this was a room full of my peers. Very different indeed.

Everyone was constructive with their comments, polite with their praise and concerns. No one let their ego get in the way of the discussions.

At the end of the night Mikhail asked for two volunteers for next week. The man sitting next to me volunteered fairly quickly, but the fear on the other writers' faces was very plain indeed. So, being the risk taker that I am, I volunteered for next week.

Well, you may think the story ends there, but it does not.

I woke up during the night thinking about the class. I just knew, just know that this class will be invaluable to me on many different levels. I fell back to sleep around 5am and had a nasty nightmare. The content of the nightmare doesn't really matter, though it was all set at the Atwater Library, so I'm sure you have an idea where I'm going with this.

Obviously sending in my story has made me feel very vulnerable indeed. I know this is not uncommon. Christiane Northrup, before her first edition of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, had a similar type of nightmare where she was naked in public, or something along those lines.

She concluded that she felt so exposed when her book was about to hit the book stores that this was the way her psyche was letting her know.

Yes, I can relate. I was surprised, however. I have handled lots of criticism from my peers in a work environment. So why was this so different? I never had nightmares about writing before.

What's so different here? Well, being surrounded by my peers talking about my story in great detail will feel like they are removing layers of my creation. So much of what I write is unconscious, yet conscious too. I know why I have included the details I have, the dialogue I have and written the characters the way I have. But will the other writers see what I see? Does that even matter?

That's the question. I have sent the story (before writing this blog so I didn't chicken out) and I will listen to their comments with an open mind. In other words, I will check my ego at the door.
My short story came from within me but it is not me. And there are many more where it came from.

The Mechanics

Good morning to you all! It's Wednesday, so it must be mechanics day.

Let's talk about the colon today. I like using colons, though I use them sparingly.

The colon acts as a pointing finger, telling the reader that there's more to come if they would just read on.

The colon is quite versatile. It can introduce a list of words, present a conclusion, present an explanation or example, introduce a quote or indirect speech, be a substitute for a conjunction, introduce a question, introduce subtitles and even link contrasting statements. Phew! That's a multi-tasker if I ever saw one!

I like using them when I want to emphasize something. Aside from using the colon for the introduction of a list all the other uses of colons draws attention to whatever is to come.

For me however I generally use them only for lists and in place of a conjunction or before the introduction of a new and exciting idea. I am not sure why I don't use them more. I guess they have a certain snobby quality to them that eliminates their use from a lot of regular genres.

I rarely if ever see them in novels. The newspaper doesn't use them much. I use them occasionally in my high tech writing, but other than that they would more likely be used in literary works of a certain level and sophistication.

The colon is certainly not used in main-stream writing very often.

I wonder why?

Is it because people just aren't sure how to use it or are they just lazy or do they just not care?

Well, I can't assume that everyone is as interested in the minutia of grammar and punctuation as I am.

Even I wouldn't be considered a die-hard grammarian like some people I've met.

Nonetheless, compared to the comma the colon is relatively simple and easy to use.

Thank the Goddess Above some punctuation is straightforward!

The Writer's Weekly

Good morning one and all!

I know, I know it's almost afternoon...well, I was out last night and this led to that and, well, I'm finally here.

My brain is a little addled but I can focus enough to write (I hope).

The writers' strike is now over and it's good to see the new shows creeping back onto the networks. The writers are as good as ever and I really enjoyed watching a new episode of Law & Order the other night. The dialogue and storyline were crisp and coherent and respectful all at once. It must have felt great for the writers to break free of their long creative silence.

I just read an item in the paper about the actors possibly striking. I doubt that strike would last very long! Hey, I guess you never know, but people in front of the scenes tend to carry more weight than the ones behind the scenes. It's like the difference between the breadwinner in a family and the stay-at-home parent. We all know which group gets taken more seriously, even though their job is a hell of a lot easier! (However, I am not saying acting is easier than writing. I have never acted so I have absolutely no idea on that one.)

I'm a behind the scenes kinda gal and that's where my talent lies. You've gotta go with what works for you.

The issues surrounding open access media are real and here to stay and I'm glad the writers fought for what they believed in. When our work is being broadcast over the Internet we must have a way of controlling our royalties off of that market as well. That's only fair.

It's a supply and demand world out there and if we are supplying what people want we should definitely get paid for it.

Standing up for our rights is a great way for people to recognize (or at least notice) all the work that goes into the TV shows we watch and take for granted every day.

Bravo to all the writers out there and keep up the great work!

The Voice

Good morning one and all.

Once again I will say nothing about the .... (I'm sure everyone living here knows exactly what I am not referring to.)

OK, that out of the way it's The Voice day. I've talked about the writer's voice before and discussed how and why it matures and also how the voice evolves and avoids becoming stagnant.

Today I am going to talk about expanding the voice. How does a writer accomplish that?

We usually write about things we know or things we've experienced at least to a certain degree. So how do we expand the voice into a realm that is unfamiliar or new?

I have found that the best way to do it is to just jump in. Thinking too hard about a new subject or tone or genre can actually give you writer's chaos (this is my term for that sinking belly fear that hits you when you feel very out of your comfort zone).

It is rare that an experienced writer cannot expand onto new ground.

I'm not saying it doesn't take a lot of hard work and determination and occasional moments of hair-pulling (at moments like that, to avoid going bald, I take deep breaths and reconnect with my inner-body, it usually works), but if you've been writing for a while you should have that inner resolve to master whatever is being asked of you.

And let's face it if you've gotta eat, you master it. At least for that one contract. You may never do that particular type of project again, but stepping out of your comfort zone is good for your development as a writer. Why?

Well, how do you know if something comes naturally if something else doesn't? You need to have a frame of reference, a comparison as it were.

We all have certain projects that feel so close to our heart. Why? Because they come from our inner-voice most likely. But, having a new and difficult challenge strengthens and hones all of your writing in ways you can't imagine until you've done it.

So once and a while do something that's just not you, or at least not you yet. You may be really surprised to find out that you love it for all sorts of different reason that you would never have expected. And if you don't end up loving it, well who really cares, right? At least you gave it a try.

Wayne Gretzky comes back to me here, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."

And so does Erica Jong, "Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow talent to the dark place where it leads."

So why not walk down that dark tunnel? It could lead to a vast light that opens many doors that you hadn't even realized were there!

Open Forum

Good morning to you all!

The week has flown and I have managed to do a little bit of work in the midst of spending the week with my son.

I will make no comments whatsoever about the weather we are going to be forced to endure later today and tomorrow. There is no longer anything original to say about the snow.

I have started a short story class run by the QWF and it looks as if it is going to be very valuable indeed. I received the first two stories we will be talking about. I can't wait to dig into them and get a feel for what other writers are writing right now. It makes me feel part of the bigger writing world, which is very inspiring.

I guess I should get working on the short story I started last week. It's turning out to be a mystery story and I have no idea how long it is going to take me to write it. It's actually unfolding quite well.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your loved ones and see you on Monday.

This is Tigger

Have a great day everyone! Isn't he cute? He's one of our furry friends.

Why would anyone do this?

Good morning one and all.

My questions pertains to an article in the New York Times about a writer, Margaret B. Jones, that wrote a false memoir.

She thought it would be valuable to voice other people's stories. People that society doesn't listen to. OK, fair enough, but if that really was her motivation why didn't she write a non-fiction book and site her sources. Wouldn't that have been far more valuable for the people whose voices she was trying to get people to hear?

By taking credit for it all as her own experience she not only lied to A LOT of people, but she ruined her credibility as a writer and a person.

It was Ms. Seltzer's (that's her real name) sister that told on her. Imagine!

I just don't get it. Did she not think she was important enough or experienced enough in life to tell her own story?

She could have written a fiction book with a lot of the same details in it and would have been fine.

I think it's pretty sad.

Somewhere inside of herself she must have known people would find out--that everyone would find out.

She even said, "maybe it's an ego thing..."

That's a pretty twisted ego!

The Voice

Good morning one and all.

This week is the school break so I will not be as diligent about posting my thoughts as I usually am.

My mind is not on writing because I have decided to take the week off (more or less).

I will be taking part in the Oprah.com online chat with Tolle this evening. His new book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose has created quite a stir.

I have read the book and it is impressive to say the least. It has helped me understand some of my spiritual awakenings and I am very curious to hear him speak about the first chapter in his book. (There are 10 chapters and 10 online chat sessions.)

The reality that hundreds of thousands of people will be watching this online event at the same time is really inspiring.

I've reserved my virtual spot and at 8:30pm this evening I will be here, in front of my computer, signing in.

I can't wait!

Have a good one all. A demain.