Never Too Late

One of my favorite quotes is from George Elliott. “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” This is what encouraged my adventure with the writing world.

I didn’t write as a child. For a brief time, I wrote silly stories about adventures with The Monkees when I was a teenager along with my friend who also had a crush on them—and when I say silly, I mean it! Thankfully, I didn’t save those stories to reread or I might have lost my nerve when I decided to write.

I didn’t write as a young adult, or even as a middle-age adult, but was instead, an avid reader. I’m one of those people who, if I don’t have a new book ready to read when I’m half-way through one, I hurry to write “go to the library” on my To Do list.

No, I discovered writing as an older adult—not quite a senior citizen, but close! I never thought I could write a book; it took many life experiences to teach me that I could try anything. I had to learn that failure is just a stop on the journey, like refueling, and that it taught me as much, actually much more, than success.

Therefore, I went into it with a completely open mind. I cherished learning something new. The difference between this and learning other new skills was that it mattered more. Once I embraced the idea that I wanted to be a writer, I really, really wanted to be a writer. When I attended my first SCBWI conference, I was absolutely enthralled to be in the presence of so many writers and would-be writers. This was my world. I knew it immediately. I treasure the memory of sitting down at the computer, figuring out how to use Microsoft Word, and...typing.  

A few times I have regretted that I didn’t find this passion earlier. My story file is crammed so full of ideas that I will need to live to be at least a hundred with full mental faculties and finger-dexterity intact. Still, I think there is an advantage to coming to it later with so many life experiences to give me a positive mental attitude. The rejections hurt, of course they did, but it didn’t take me long—I gave myself about a week to fume and fuss—to start a new project with gusto.

My goals are not what they would have been if I had started when I was twenty, or even thirty. I don’t really care if I’m published by the Big Six. (I’m not even sure I can name them.) I like my little publisher and feel like they care about me—and most importantly, they share my worldview and my standards.

So, here I am at this stage of life with some new additions to my “personal dictionary” under contentment: (1) to let my imagination soar and create new worlds and people to live in them, (2) to constantly learn new skills to tell a story better.

Life is good, especially the writing life.

If you would like, share your thoughts about the writing life and how you came to it. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?  

Laney Lowell moved across the country to escape her past, not to fall in love. But when she becomes friends with Gabe, a handsome artist plagued by a mysterious disease, she'll have to decide between facing his dark truth or walking away from him forever. This thrilling romance is full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page.


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Secret Fire

I heard a great talk on Saturday at a meeting hosted by the Heart of Carolina Writer’s Group. Claudia Dain talked about theme. “Theme is one of those things you learn about in your high school English class,” she said, “and then tend to forget.” I was intrigued by her talk about the layers of theme. There are three. The first is specific to the book. For example, the theme of a particular book might be: Don’t ever, ever give up in what you believe. The next layer is the overall theme the author carries through multiple books which you might notice as a reader (but probably not—often the author doesn’t even realize it.) Perhaps the author tends to write books which have a smart, capable heroine who triumphs against all odds and the theme is female empowerment. 

But the third layer was the most captivating. The third layer is the secret fire that makes the author HAVE to write; it’s what she has to tell the world or she’ll just shrivel up and die. Ms. Dain said it can be summed up in one word and one word only. Since I heard the talk I’ve been trying to figure out what my secret fire is. I think I know. I think it’s …

Oh, did you think I would just tell you?

Sorry. You’re gonna have to read my books to figure it out.

If you know me and think you can guess, leave a comment!

Trees

The church that owns the property behind our house recently cut down most of the trees. I felt a pang of regret with each huge whomp as they came down. The chainsaws buzzed for days, followed by constant whining as the trees were fed into the chipper. Now the skyline behind our house looks completely different.

At first, I was really upset. I tried to think who I could call to protest this travesty of nature. But since the property belongs to the church, they have every right to chop down the trees and ruin my view. I get up really early so the hullabaloo of chainsaws and chippers wasn’t to my liking either, when I tried to sneak in a little nap in the afternoons. But again, there was nothing I could do about it.

What, you ask, does this story, incredibly interesting as it is—or is not—have to do with writing?

I’m getting there, be patient!

Here’s the clincher: Light floods into my backyard and house now. The trees were too far away to offer real shade and even though I loved watching them sway in the breeze and their leaves flutter down in the fall (except when they landed in my yard and pool), I find I…really kind of like it. The birds seem to have all flocked to my yard to fill all the trees and birdhouses which is good because they’re really fun to watch and even my Bwanna-hunter-cat Pepper can’t scare ALL of them away.

Here’s the analogy to writing. Chopping down trees is like revising your book. See, I told you I was getting there.

You think you can’t live without certain scenes or even characters, but when you mercilessly cut them out, light floods in and you can see the essence of your story. Birds, or ideas and inspiration, come to nibble at your feeders and build a nest. You have less leaves to rake, or story to refine, and you appreciate and fine-tune the one that is left.

Just as pruning, weeding, and cutting back

Are what will make the garden grow

Revising, rewriting, and polishing

Will also make the story glow.