IWSG: October 2018

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Insecure Writers Support Group

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Co-Hosts: Dolorah @ Book Lover, Christopher D. Votey, Tanya Miranda, andChemist Ken!


Question: How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

Answer: Sure! When story creation takes hold, it isn't created from thin air. Even if you writing SF or Fantasy, the experiences of your life and research are folded into your story--sometimes unconsciously, sometimes with your full participation. 

Early on in the writing of my Women's Fiction contemporary, I realized that the main character--a retired, childless teacher--was a stand-in for my long journey through infertility and the grief it caused myself and my husband. We both taught and loved kids. We both wanted to be parents in the worst way. But it wasn't to be. 

In one very important way, my character was different from me. She was a widow. Thankfully, I am not. With her widowhood, I found her an outlet for her frustrated need for children in her life. Throughout her marriage, her impervious mother-in-law had kept her thumb on the marriage of her son, his wife, and any idea of adoption. While my story was different, adoption wasn't a path for us either. The death of connection allowed my character to get involved with foster children, and a connection was made that led to adoption. A beautiful outcome for my long hunger told through the life of my character. 

Not all stories are one-to-one analogies, but I do believe our experiences influence the choices we make as we tell our stories. 

Happy Writing, y'all!

Next post: October's Book Pusher!

A Writer's Wish List

Like everyone else, I have a wish list. Actually there's two--a personal one and a writing one.

Source

My personal one might sound a bit grandiose, but then, what are wishes for but the amazing, far-reaching dreams.

• World Peace--Yes, it's an old chestnut, but that doesn't make it any less true.
• Understanding for All--It's a corollary to the first. In fact, it made be the method to achieve the first. For when we truly understand the reality of each other, we can find common ground and common steps for achieving peace.
• Health and Well Being--Since I have some major chronic problems that get in the way of my writing, I'd love to solve them. Like I said in the intro, my wishes are a bit on the grandiose side and this one is no less hard to accomplish than the first two.

And now for the writing ones:

• A finished semi-polished manuscript--I'm nearing this wish and can see the finish line. 
• A query letter that shows my manuscript off to its best advantage--This is a bit of a wild wish. Queries are another type of writing that I'll have to learn from the ground up.
• A series of synopses in varying lengths--Like the query, writing a synopsis is a new step for me, one that is necessary, but daunting. How would you like to tell you book-length story in one, two, three, or five-pages? Let's just say, I'm not looking forward to it. My first attempt showed me that I was trying to cobble two stories into one. What dangers lurk in the next attempt? 
• An agent who gets my vision for MOTHER'S DAY, and sees the perfect market for it. I have to achieve the queries and synopses to get to this wish.

So, there you have it, my very own wish list. For some reason, I don't think Santa will be packing any of them on his sleigh.

What about you? Do you have a few wild and wonderful wishes? Care to share? ;-)

Next Week: A Merry Christmas Poem! 
  

Obstacles

You know that feeling you get when you read something that really turns your head, makes you see your life and stories in a new light, and realize you've been looking at everything the wrong way? Well, I'm having that feeling since I read Kathryn Craft's post at Writers in the Storm. Check out Turning Whine into Gold: Surmounting Obstacles. It's opened up a new theme in my WIP FRIENDLY FIRE.

In FF's original form--MOTHER'S DAY--was all about Laura Grace and her childlessness.  Every part of the story at that time was about how and why Laura Grace became a mother. In fact, Samantha was little more than a placeholder child. That was until I couldn't keep from learning more and more about Samantha's story and the idea of abuse being friendly fire, that those closest to us inflict our deepest wounds. Child abuse is a prime example since the great majority of victims are abused by people in their families and neighborhoods--those who should be protecting the child, not preying on them. That new focus forced LG's motherhood into the background.

But after reading Craft's post, I realized that both themes need to run parallel lines in the story. LG has a deep well of motherhood that was not allowed expression in the normal journey most people take. She is childless after 30+ years of happy marriage and a career of teaching has only touched the tip of the iceberg of what she has buried inside. The obstacles to motherhood looked insurmountable. Then Samantha, a child with needs so deep that only a mother with an endless reserve to call on can provide the mothering she needs. And a match made in Heaven was created.

Needless to say, I'm trilled. I've already begun to add this new insight into my WIP, so if you think I'm a bit distracted, I might be. ; )

Are You Asleep?

I don't often share personal things, but my newest experience--a sleep study--was too funny not to share.  When I got home and told him all about it, John said, "Oh, good, now you can make a character do a sleep study." 

And you never know. It just might happen. Some of the tiniest details of real life have appeared in my writing and if I carefully choose which character and where in their story it happens, it works.

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Last night I did the strangest thing I’ve ever done in my life so far—a sleep study. I realize some of you may have done this, but for those who haven’t and find yourselves in need of this test, let my experience be a guide for you.

I have had disrupted sleep since I was twelve—that’s 4 ½ decades—due to Fibromyalgia. My primary care doctor wants to pin down any possible cause beyond Fibro for my problems, so off to the sleep doctor I went.

The sleep doctor was reassuring because 1) he can diagnose Fibro from the brain waves (Hurrah!), 2) Apnea and restless legs run with Fibro (I’m game to try a CPAP if I need one), and 3) don’t worry, the lab is like a hotel room. Wear your normal pajamas.

So far, so good.

Then I made some startling discoveries.

First discovery: Yes, the room was like a hotel room—a well-appointed one—except there are not towels, washcloths, tiny shampoos, and soaps. Oh, well, I thought, I’ll make do with the paper towel dispenser for washing my face since I did bring some soap. I’d shower when I got home. The other problem was it had an air freshener. I had that removed because it’s a trigger for my asthma. But the smell lingered in the air and the bedclothes.

Second discovery: The technician kept asking me if I needed anything, neglecting to tell me she had towels, washcloths, and shampoo. : (

Third discovery: There was no way to contact the “outside” world between the intake paperwork and time to wire up for sleep. No intercom. No call button. No phone. So, even if I’d thought to ask for linens, I’d been out of luck.

Fourth discovery: Oh, the wires! Miles of them! I had 27 leads attached to my legs, chest, by my eyes, on my chin, and ten just for my head. It was like someone had dumped a bowl of spaghetti on the bed! When I needed to pee, I had to get the tech to help. (Thank goodness, the intercom works during the test.) Let’s just say, I managed to ask to pee only once. Once was enough. Being careful not to get any wires in the pot or down my pants (except for the ones that were _supposed_ to be there), was a feat! Once back in bed, I had to go to sleep again with every lead a hard lump that dug into me at every turn.

Fifth discovery: I thought the sleeping part was hard, but getting unwired was even harder! The ten leads attached to my head were held in place by industrial strength goo. After they were removed I was left with a “faux hawk”. Now, my hair is straight as a stick and I’d have sworn it could never be styled in such a manner, but there it was in all its gory…er…glory. The tech gave me tips for how to wash it off when she brought in the missing towels, washcloths, and shampoo. When I asked why they hadn’t already been in the room, she said the hospital management company wouldn’t let them. Needless to say, I added _that_ to my post-study comments!

Sixth discovery: Industrial strength goo takes industrial strength effort to remove. I finally managed to stop feeling sticky after two showers, three latherings of my hair, four face washings, and five ear washings. The latter was necessary to get to layer of gunk out of the valley between my ears and my head.

So, if you find yourself in need of a sleep study, ask for linens and shampoo! Tonight, I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own, perfectly comfortable bed complete with a pillow that fits my shoulders and bed linens that don’t stink like fake flowers.

Happy ZZZZZZZs to you all! Sweet Dreams!

And the results are: (drum roll, please) No apnea, no restless legs, just the strange and unrestful brain waves of a person with chronic pain. It's called alpha-delta sleep in which the alpha waves (full consciousness) intrude on the delta waves (restorative sleep). No wonder I'm tired all the time, but at least I now know why!

Have you ever included experiences like this in your writing?

Next week, I have another Author Interview for you~~Kerry Lynne. Her new book PIRATE CAPTAIN: CHRONICLES OF A LEGEND is a good read. Be sure to check the post out. ; )