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.