Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.

~Truman Capote~

I had Truman on my mind, maybe because I watched the movie, Capote, recently.  I remember reading his internationally famous novel, In Cold Blood, years ago.  What I didn’t know, is that writing it almost killed him.  He was so deeply involved in the process, and the story was so sensational that he lost himself.  He interviewed the witnesses, family, and friends of the victims.  The part, I believe, that drained him was visiting the killers and becoming involved in their story, and the intimate details of the killing.  A brilliant novel in the end, but the physical toll was a very high price.  He even witnessed their executions.  He was a novelist who decided to write a real-life crime in fiction form.  It was a brilliant idea all those years ago, and unlike anything I had every read before.  It took me there, pulled me in, and I saw and felt what took place.  It can be chilling, especially when it’s a murder story.

This writer was in deep, and I can’t imagine the feeling of desperation he felt when he realized he might not be able to shake the book after it was written.  What I’ve learned with my debut book is this, you can’t be afraid to go deep.  What we choose to write is an individual decision, but when you choose it’s all or nothing.  But, I also know there are certain genres I could never write.  You won’t see me penning a slasher book.  I don’t have an interest in it, and I don’t have the constitution for it.  I know my limits. 

One of Truman’s quotes says it all… “No one will know what In Cold Blood took out of me.  It scraped me right down to the marrow of my bones.  It nearly killed me.  I think, in a way, it did kill me.”

I must say here, Truman had some deep-seated emotional issues and was fragile.  Writing that particular book took him places he hadn’t expected, or wanted I imagine.  I’ve read writer interviews that have discussed this, and one author put it perfectly.  Basically it was about being aware of what you let inside of your head.  You’ll be with these characters for a long time.  I believe this wholeheartedly, and it’s not just in fiction we need to think of this.  In life as well.

Are there certain books you won’t write, cause you know it’d be too draining?   

If life is calling you, you must go toward it with the upmost passion and involvement, not with hesitation and calculation.

~Sadhguru~

Spring and summers are truly a time of renewal.  Not only does nature bloom and display its beauty, but people have a tendency to breathe deeply and dance with life.  And if we’re lucky, it continues throughout the year.

I recently read an article about a 100 plus-year-old man who has lived in a mental institution for most of his life.  Sadly, it was so long ago no one knows his exact history.  He spends his days painting on long sheets of paper.  They are scenes from his childhood they assume.  A nurse said he draws all day long, taking breaks only for eating, sleep, and a few activities.  They never said what his actual “mental” diagnosis was, and it doesn’t matter.  This passion he exhibits in the facility is calling to him regardless.

The terrific news is he will be having his first art exhibit this year.  Someone found this man and his work, and realized their value.  I love reading stories such as this.  When I envision him working with his colors and paper, the background fading as creativity takes over and spills onto the paper, I feel a warm glow.  He’s in the state of being, and that’s a forgotten place for some.  Too many look ahead, to the side, up and down, never inside.  The outside noise gets loud, and in some cases drowns life calling.

So for me, I love that life calls and more so that I’m able to hear.  As writers, we delve inside ourselves for our characters and write about what we see and hear.  The least we can do is do the same indepth process for ourselves.  And I love that we’re all able to embrace life fully. There’s no membership fees, no qualifications other than being human.  It’s my kinda club!   

Thoughts?

Well, vacation was a blast!  A week of fun in the Florida sun, and I’m back to life in TN again.  The good thing about vacations is the enthusiasm you bring home.  Away from my work for a week, and I’m inspired.

After a few days in FL, small scenes started popping up for my WIP.  Ideas for future stories slowly joined the mix.  I let them fall like gentle rain, absorbing them but not reacting.  I can still hear the ocean sounds as I type this.  The balcony of our condo drew me every morning, and night.  No wonder I buy ocean CD’s to inspire me whenever I write. 

So, I’ll keep you posted as I work on my new project.  I wrote a chapter before I left; just enough to draw me closer.  I look forward to stepping into my story, and experiencing the magic again.

So, what are y’all working on at this moment?

Passion 

~Boundless enthusiasm~

When I think of passion, I think of my family, writing, friends, and books.  Sometimes we all get caught up in life, and lose our focus.  I just read Edie’s blog called, Motivate Me, and my comment sparked this blog.  Love when that happens.  One of the questions she asked is, “What motivates us as writers?” 

Whenever I remember my roots and, why I ever wrote in the first place, it boils down to my love of writing.  Sometimes that truth gets buried under layers of stuff.  That’s all it is, those obscure little things that get in the way.  I started a new novel recently and, although it’s a busy time of year for us around here, the story lingers inside of me.  That warm glow when characters I care about are showing wonderful potential, and new angles simmer on the backburner.  I love watching them during the process, and digging deep for the truth of who they are.  And more importantly, what they want to say.  With vacation on the horizon, it might be a while before I can buckle down and spend full days with them.  And that’s okay too.  It’s summer and I’m going easy on myself.  Besides, I don’t have a deadline on this novel and that’s okay.  Good things happen when you aren’t looking too. 

So tell me, what things are you passionate about?

Hey all, just wanted to wish you all a very happy Fourth of July!  To all the military families out there, we appreciate you.  And to my two son-in-laws who are serving and have served, I love you and want you safe.  Please take care of you.

I finished an amazing book last night titled, Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet.  It’s one of those books you read and think, why didn’t I think of that?  I won’t go into great details, cause I’m going to review it at Magical when my turn rolls around.  But suffice to say, it weaved a very simple concept and was stunning.  I imagine it’ll be a movie…soon.  In fact, the gal on the cover looks like Liv Tyler.  And it’s perfect for the big screen.

This story really got me thinking about where ideas come from, and why the simple ones are sometimes the hardest to discover.  I mean really, sometimes watching a movie it’s like, why didn’t I think of this?  It can be downright painful, especially if you did tippy-toe around the idea a time or two, but didn’t sit your butt-in-the-chair to do something about it.

I’m writing them down from now on.  I usually appreciate the newbie ideas while they float by, and the next day I can’t remember the glimmer that made me smile the day before.  So, I’ll be turning stones as go along my merry way, discovering those gems buried in the sand.  I’m in awe when a brilliant idea shows up in all its glory!  Now, that’s when I smile. I’m curious, have you experienced any stories lately that carried the where have you been factor?

We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.

~Anais Nin~

I love this quote because it’s true.  In fact, I glimpsed this truth in my world recently.  I was at the beach…  Yes, most of my really great insights come from the beach or near the water.  But, I was an observer in this little story.  A very nice lady was in the lake with her hubby, and their laughter and teasing caught my attention.  I was at the lake with my daughter and grandchildren.  She walked over and smiled really big at me, and we started to chat.  I felt her warmth first then noticed, while her smile was very bright, she was missing some key teeth.  And I felt bad that it was even on the radar, but I wished for her to have a bright smile.  I thought it’d probably make her happier on some level.  Smiles are rampant in my world, and I’m surrounded by them.

Back to the story… This lovely lady ended up interacting with one of my grandchildren, and playing toss for about 30 minutes.  We found out she was a grandparent too, and she and her husband sporadically packed up for a camping trip whenever the mood suited them.  I like that, cause that’s how I am. 

Later, when we got home I chatted with my grandkids on the deck about our day.  The nice woman came up in our conversation, and we chatted about the toss-game she’d joined in, etc.  When I mentioned her warm smile, I discovered the children hadn’t noticed her missing teeth…at all.  My first thought was how could someone interact for 30 minutes, and not notice something like that.  And then I knew, children see with their heart.  They don’t notice anything other than a person’s essence.  I love that, and it humbled me.  What started out as a lesson in empathy turned out to be so much more.

As writers, we’re observers to the tenth degree.  Details are what we carry away from our interactions on a surface level.  And while it’s our job to do so, don’t forget your inner sight.  That’s the most precious of all, and the one hidden in our soul.   Look in people’s eyes and connect there, while everything else fades into the background.  You’ll learn so much more, and carry the magic with you.  Save those descriptive details for the stories!