Practice writing

I've been writing articles on Hubpages sporadically for about seven months now.  It's really good practice and I'm actually having fun doing it.

I decided this fall that I would make personalized gifts for friends.  I don't have a lot of free time so I needed quick and easy projects.

From that came this article on easy-to-make Christmas projects - The Gift of Giving Your Own Creation.

"After all, one knows one's weak points so well, that it's rather bewildering to have the critics overlook them, and invent others."

- Edith Wharton

I love this quote.  A new acquaintance who has been an editor volunteered to read my book.  It is fairly obvious upon making her acquaintance that she is not overly endowed with tact.  Her comments, when they came back, were pretty scathing.  In the process she also derided another friend of mine, a columnist and published writer, who had previously reviewed my latest revision to date.  I forwarded her comments to him, to see what he thought.

His response was - "I know her type.  I'll guarantee you she has a small, noisy dog."

Guess what!  She does!

Thanksgiving at Sapelo!

I will be going to Sapelo Island for Thanksgiving.  It will be like walking into Lee's life to be down there in the marshes near that beautiful river.

I will drop by Ashantilly, which I have only seen from the outside.  It will be interesting to see if my imagined description of the inside of the house is at all accurate.

Practicing the Craft

Earlier in the week, I wrote two new articles for Hubpages and posted one of them.  I have very little experience writing articles, so I am endeavoring to learn through this free forum.  Supposedly if people start reading your articles, you can earn some income doing this.

However, I haven't had the time to dedicate to what it takes to make this happen.

But now, my main business is so slow that I do have time.  So, in addition to knocking out four or five revised chapters per week, I am now writing the occasional article re stuff I know about.

It's kinda fun.

Writing and working your day job

I love this quote by Flannery O'Connor:

"Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay."

I was thinking earlier today about all the people like myself who struggle to fit in writing with their daily grind of earning a living.  In a way, it seems sad.  But on the other hand, perhaps the mere fact that the time spent writing is "stolen" has it's allure.  I've noticed that when I have a free day to write, I will often procrastinate and get nothing done.

BUT, when I must squeeze in those precious two hours before work, I am so proud of myself for the extra effort.

Aahhh, something is growing...

Could it be...craft? I think about writing all the time now. I have been re-working Wiregrass for about six weeks and am half way through. I'm drawn back to the process now by a feeling of being inside the characters, and being more honest about how they really feel.

Other stories have been presenting themselves to me. I have actually jotted down a few and surprise, surprise, one is a mystery-thriller plot.

This process is such an enjoyable experience. My confidence is growing too. I feel certain that when I am ready to send out queries again, I will have a winner on my hands. Editing one another's work with my friend Jim has been such a great experience. It has helped both of us a lot. I think maybe one-on-one critting is "write" for me.

I am re-inventing myself, which only means that I am returning to the things I enjoyed so much as a young woman. I find they are all creative! The gardening has encouraged jewelry making and knitting. All three have encouraged writing.

Somehow all these elements that I enjoy are pulling together to create a life style that will support and nurture me as I mature into old age.

How fun! The voyage of discovery never ends.

The Coast

I'm in Charleston today, and all the sights and sounds, including the Slave Market, make me think of the world my Lee inhabited. Charleston, in spite of it's courting of tourism, is still a timeless city, enshrined in tradition and formality, and an everlasting love of beauty.

Contractions

No, I'm not referring to labor pains. When I first wrote my novel, I referred to books of the time, not necessarily novels, and the dialogue was very formal.

Later I realized that contractions are just a part of the normal laziness of people when speaking and that they must be the norm rather than the exception. So, I am going through a FIFTH revision, chapter by chapter and inserting contractions.

Sometimes I wonder about the creative urge. It seems a bit insane to spend so much time on work that may never be read by more than a few friends and agents.

Be that as it may, I plod on.

The good news is, I still enjoy reading the book each time I revise. That must mean something.

The Creek Indians in Georgia

During the process of writing Wiregrass, I did a fair amount of research on the Creek Indians. This is not easy, because like most Indian tribes, their history is an oral one and is conveyed in a myth format.

Scotsmen who came to Georgia in the 1700s often married the proud young women of the Creek tribes, some the daughters of chieftains. Their sons were educated in the white man's fashion and taxed with the task of presenting their case to the white man to protect their lands. Young men like Alexander McGillivray received a European style education but were also immersed in the ways of the Creeks, since the tribes were matrilineal.

It became clear to them that the white man discounted the informality of the mythological stories that recounted tribal history, thereby invalidating any claims of ownership of the land.

McGillivray and others vigorously fought the confiscation of 3,000,000 acres of Creek land by our government.

In the end, it was to no avail. Andrew Jackson, famed as an Indian fighter, refused to uphold a decision in favor of the Creeks handed down by the Supreme Court. The Georgia Lotteries took place and by 1826, the majority of Creeks had been removed from the area, having been paid a pittance for their lands.

Crittng with a fresh insight

I am excited because my new critting friend is so encouraging. He makes great suggestions for minor changes that help to charge the writing. I am fine with any major changes he suggests - but that will come later, because the first part of my book has been tweaked so much it is pretty well integrated. It is later that it begins to soften, weaken in focus.

I can't wait until we get to those chapters because as I re-read his critiques, I know I have written an excellent book!