Synchronicity

The universe is prodigal in its support. We are miserly in what we accept.
~~Julia Cameron, THE ARTIST'S WAY

I'm finding this quote to be literally true to such an extent that I'm almost embarrassed to share--almost. ; ) Synchronicity is the gifts of inspiration that the Creator of the universe puts in our path all the time. I have to admit to many years of doubting them and ignoring them. I've overlooked so many ways in which God has aided my creativity. As of now, I'm opening up to all the gifts--big and small--that come my way.

Here's a few examples:

• My mother and sister insisted that I read Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER series. Not only did I find hours of excellent reading and thrilling stories, I was introduced to one of the most generous writers in the world who kept mentioning the Books and Writers Forum. Once I took the time to check the Forum out, I found not only many amazing writers, but also a source of craft skills and exercises that help me hone my writing.
• On a day trip to Cartersville for the fun of it, I found the perfect vision for Cherry Hill, my WIP's setting.
• While "wasting time" on Facebook, I remembered one of my former students is a Marine and now I have a source of info for the background of Mack Singer, my retired Marine.
• During a lunch at Captain D's, I saw little children who sparked a great scene for Book 3 about Laura Grace and her grandchildren. Let's just say, it isn't smooth sailing. ; )
• Thinking about my Marine, I realized he just might have a tattoo or two. Then I realized that not only does he have a tattoo of the Marine anchor and globe, he has one that pays homage to his lost love, also a Marine. Laura Grace will have something to say about that!
• And the biggest gift of all: Six months ago, while we were organizing the church's Angel Tree charity, I met the adult daughter of a foster/adoptive mother. She gave me her mother's email. I'm ashamed to say that I've waited this long to try and get in touch with her. The middle of my plot depends on this information. At least I'm started on this source of info now.

How many times to we allow a fleeting thought, inspiration, or plot idea slip by?

What about you? Do you have a few gifts that you've been amazed by?

Write On!

Don't you love my new mug? ; ) It's one of those little things that make writing more fun. You know we all have such. Maybe yours isn't a mug, but what about a special pen, notebook, or journal? We all have little rituals and items we use to help us create. Did you notice the tea bag? It's special, too. Twinings Irish Breakfast Tea. By the way, the mug is available at Exclusive Writer Gifts.

And you guessed it--I have a special pen, too. In fact, I find writing with anything else to be nearly impossible. I buy the pens two dozen at a time since I draft long hand.

What are your rituals, special tools, favorite pens?

You just might share a new one that we all have to have. ; )





Scrivener--Now I Understand!

Scrivener is amazing! I know you've heard that from a lot of writers. Add me to the list. I've blogged about it before--Scrivener! By Golly!--but that was before I really got the hang of some of the best bells and whistles. I first got the program in November 2011, but a dead computer in February delayed me. It's only now that I've had time to experiment and learn what it can do.

Like:

There's nothing like finding the perfect face for a character. Especially if--like me--you aren't very visually oriented.

Here's another one--a photo of a young Samantha beside the first time she appears in the story:

Or this one:

I drew this map after visiting Cartersville, Georgia. It's so close to Cherry Hill, I had to draw the map of it for the files. Without Scrivener, it would just be another piece of paper floating around my study. And who needs that! ; )

So, you can see, I'm enjoying myself even if my forward progress is a bit slow. ; )

How about you? Do you use Scrivener? What's you favorite tool?







There's Got To Be a Word for That!

I know you've said that before! I have. Too many times to count. Now I have the perfect website for you:
25 Handy Words That Simply Don't Exist In English

English is the king mutt of languages with more words than any other and they are from many backgrounds. Check out my post The History of the English Language for a brief explanation of this truth. I used to prove this to my Latin students by comparing the Latin word for large--magnus-- to all the many ways you can say it in English--large, big, huge, gargantuan, etc., etc., etc.

I don't know about you, but I need L’esprit de l’escalier --French for thinking of the perfect comeback long after you need it-- nearly everyday.
And I've experienced Age-otori--Japanese for looking worse after the new haircut--a time or two.

What about you? Which of these words have you needed, but lacked?
Do you know some more I need to know? Please?

Emergency Senses

What do you do when you forgot your Kindle during a trip to the ER? To be fair, I remembered MY

Kindle, but the patient didn't. So, I lent him mine to read the paper while we waited for ultrasound and the results of the ultrasound. Instead of reading, I took notes about all I could sense in the ER exam room. After scribbling six pages of sights, sounds, feelings, and smells, I realized that I had all I needed to immerse my readers in two scenes of my WIP. Writers are told that including at least three of the five senses will bring dimension to their scenes and draw readers in. Now I have a great list to use for this very real setting.

Did you know that the pediatric crash cart holding all the medicines has rainbow hued drawers? The colors are to separate the meds by weight of the patient. I've never noticed this before. If I had been reading, I wouldn't have noticed it this time. Or that there is a huge poster just to list all the possible average weights, blood pressures, heart rates, and respiration for children based on age?

Have you ever stopped and listened to all the sounds in an ER department? From the scuffing of soft soled shoes and disembodied voices in the hall to the ticking of the oxygen ports and swoosh of the blood pressure cuff, I was awash in a sea of input just through my ears. Add the feel of the squishy chair cushion and the breath of the air conditioning on the back of my neck and you have a real setting that will draw a reader in.

After this experience, I plan to set up a few on purpose trips to experience some settings for my WIP. The hospital cafeteria is next on the list. ; )

What about you? Do you ever just sit and take notes on your surroundings?
How do you find the details to add the five senses to your scenes?

Creative Ways

I've read King's On Writing, Lamott's bird by bird, and Pressfield's The War of Art, and all of them have inspired and spurred me on to greater understanding of creativity and writing. But Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way is making much more impact on me.

Cameron's subtitle, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, speaks to the source of all creativity. Here are some of the basic principles she shares:

• Creativity is the natural order of life.
• Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.
• The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.
• It is safe to open ourselves to greater and greater creativity.

I have always understood creativity this way--God created us to be creators in his image. That's probably why The Artist's Way is clicking for me. The book outlines a twelve-week course of discovery and I'm only in week 2, but I see more joy and productivity in my writing already. ; )

Have you read The Artist's Way? What do you think about it?
What's your favorite book for inspiring creativity?



Seasons

If you've followed In the Shade of the Cherry Tree for any length of time, you know I can't let well enough alone. I'm always hunting for another background, another color scheme, another focus image. The newest is in honor of the coming summer. Besides it's been hot enough to be summer around here. All our flowers have bloomed or are setting buds to bloom a full month early this spring. By the way, I've already picked out the background image for fall. ; )

The latest background is perfect depiction of deep Georgia woods. The focus image is to herald the coming season of ripe cherries in our grocery stores. I can't get enough of the tasty little fruit--it's my favorite.

I've wondered if I change the look too often, but I know the visual expression of my creative side needs an outlet, too. So, for now, you can look forward to my changing images. Hopefully they will all fit the image of a comfortable place to visit. Come on into the Shade and sit for a spell. Maybe it will take your mind off the heat. ; )

What about you? Do you change up your look from time to time. Or do you think writers should strive for a recognizable look that is part of our set image and brand?

On Friday, check out Deniz's The Gridle of Melian--I'm the guest writer/blogger. She asks good questions. ; )

Uncovered Gems

Since my main WIP is in a contemporary setting and is about a foster child, I find a great number of wonderful nuggets that inspire all sorts of ideas for my plot. Sometimes all it takes is a newspaper article, a TV news report, or stray conversation among the people I see at church and the grocery store. My notebooks are full of varied jewels that I've uncovered.

Here's some of the latest tidbits:

• A newspaper article concerning the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims--Since many of the victims don't report it for decades, the perpetrators go unpunished. The crimes against my character Samantha are nearly lost to this reluctance to talk.
• A newspaper article that older mothers with daughters are living on a powder keg of hormones--As the daughters hit puberty, the moms are entering menopause with the possibility of major combustion. My two main characters fit this dynamic and my back brain will make something of it--I just know it will. ; )
• A local TV news crew reported on a group that paid for the funeral of a homeless vet with full military honors--The retired Marine among my characters is itching to use this quote from the story: "No one should go on their last mission alone." Something tells me that this will come up again in some way in Cherry Hill Book 2--LINE OF FIRE.
• A newspaper article about the result of a court case that requires a reduction of the case loads for child protective services personnel in the Fulton and Dekalb counties (Atlanta). All the other counties in Georgia have had to increase the caseloads to make up for personnel and funds moved to Fulton and Dekalb. This was confirmed by a discussion with a local Department of Family and Children caseworker. She has 33 active cases right now. My story isn't set in Fulton or Dekalb counties. I think you can figure out the rest of that line of thinking.
• Some of my friends were bemoaning the loss of their children's boy and girl friends. The quote was "But they didn't break up with us!" When a child falls in love with potential mate who then disappears, what happens to the hapless parent who made the friend welcome to the family? This one will be allowed to ferment. I'm sure my characters have something to say about it. ; )

Where do you find your uncovered kernels and hidden gems?
But more importantly, how do you record them so you don't lose them?

The delightful Denise Covey's A to Z Challenge posts have covered Bloggers Were Children, Too this month and I'm Z. ; ) Go HERE to read my interview.

If you want more info on my strange and wonderful name go to my post: "What's in a Name?"
It's been fun following Denise at L'Aussie Writer and Deniz at The Girdle of Melian, and Matthew at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. Check these great bloggers out.