Author: Brenda Poulos

Balancing Act

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

If you’re anything like me, you have a stack of books somewhere in your house that keeps getting taller. It seems like every book you read is replaced by one or two more!

The fact is, writers like to read. Need to read.

I’m not just talking about pleasure reading, which is a “given”. Every writer I have ever met has told me that it was the love of reading that sparked within them the desire to write.

No, I’m talking about reading about writing. The craft. Punctuation and grammar to be sure, but also reading about genres, point-of-view, voice, character development, plot and hundreds of more things we need to consider—need to master—in pursuit of excellence.

Once I started writing, I quickly realized the necessity of erecting two stacks of books. One I dubbed “Pleasure”; the other, simply “About Writing”. I have a rule concerning these books: Read from both stacks, simultaneously, so that I fulfill my need for learning AND for enjoyment.

So, what’s next on my stacks? James Scott Bell’s How to Write Dazzling Dialogue and Steven Pressfield’s Turning Pro are on top of the “About Writing” stack. And for pleasure, next up is Chapel Springs Revival by Ane Mulligan.

So, whether you keep an actual physical stack of books, like I do, or simply a list of “Must Reads”, my suggestion is that you try to balance your reading. After all, didn’t you hear this expression as a child? “All work, and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.”

 

Please visit http://www.spiritual snippets.com and http://www.5scribesandtheirstories.com to see what is going on there.

Write or Rewrite?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Here’s what I think. Plain and simple. It’s a LOT more fun to write than to rewrite. In the case of writing, it’s the creative surge within—and as it flows out—onto the paper that makes it so enjoyable.

One moment the page is blank. Within a few minutes, the page is half-filled.

One moment, it is a small spark in the brain. The next, it is a living, breathing, growing organism.

A thought begets another thought. And that thought multiplies into a grouping of thoughts that are just begging to be a story. And that story is NOT GOING TO WAIT!

The ideas are coming so fast that there’s no time to check for grammar, spelling, or errors of any kind. They spill out and if they aren’t acknowledged right away, they fade, sneak, or even run away. It’s hard to recoup them. Often, it’s not possible.

So, like many of you, I have carry a pad of paper in my purse and a notebook in my car. If an idea comes into my head, I pull over and scribble it down. If I’m in a restaurant, a napkin may have to suffice. In the doctor’s office, I once wrote down an idea on the paper liner from the exam table. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

So what happens when you are in the middle of writing and someone calls you to say, partake of luscious ribs from the grill?

That’s what just happened to me. Seriously. In the middle of writing this blog, my husband announced that the ribs were ready a good hour earlier than I had expected.

Now, I couldn’t disappoint the chef (or my stomach) so I closed down my writing program and graced my husband with my presence at the table. The ribs were great and I wasn’t sorry I let them interrupt my writing, but now I am back in front of the computer and I’m stalling…

Why? Because I’ve lost my momentum, my train of thought. I’ve forgotten where I was headed with all of this. Things aren’t quite gelling the way I had hoped. Scratch that. The way I had planned.

So, what should I do? Sit here and wait for inspiration? Pray for instant recall?

I’m gonna give this what I call the “Fifteen Minute Rule.”  This means that if, within the space of fifteen minutes, nothing earth shaking or mind blowing has taken place, I’m shutting it down. That’s right. I’m powering off.

Why? Because it is much more fun to write. Not so much fun to rewrite. (Editing, well that’s just a necessary evil. But that’s not what I’m writing about.) It’s not as exciting when you’ve lost that edge, that quirky way of expressing something ordinary in a new and different way that makes us all sit up and take notice and say: “Wow! That’s sure a new twist” or “Hum, I never thought about it that way before.”

So, go ahead and have a plate of delicious ribs, if you want to. But, as for me, I think I’ll pass—next time.

GO FOR IT!

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

So, here it is. A brand new year. If you’re like me, you contemplate making a few resolutions—goals for your lives, for your writing. Rather than hear about mine, perhaps now is the time to spend a few minutes in reflection of the past year and set your face toward the future. Will you be content to let the days go by without a plan, or will you resolve, as I have, to attempt more control over your writing life?

I say make a plan. Put it out there for all to read and enjoy their encouragement along the way—every day of 2015. Spotlight your goals. Update often. Revise when necessary. Feel free at any time to scrap them, rethink them, rewrite them. Go for it.

If you don’t start out to achieve, I think it is dead certain that you won’t. I’ve never heard of an athlete, musician, or public figure that didn’t work toward their goal, on a daily basis. One step, one note, one idea at a time.

One stroke of a key can mean the difference between meeting that goal or forever wishing that you had. It’s all at the tip of your fingers.

That next broken record, sonata, or humanitarian act is just waiting for someone to achieve it. Will it be you?

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

I really don’t like the expression, “Killing two birds with one stone”, but I somehow seem to be following it’s spirit. By that I mean, I need to be writing on this blog, but I also need to be writing my Christmas letter to family and friends. I am so far behind in the things I need to accomplish, that I am going to try to do both—here—now.

This has been such a busy year! Mostly due to the many new things I have taken on in 2014. I accomplished my goal of finishing my book, Runaways. With two weeks until the end of the year, I feel good about what I’ve done. I will spend several more weeks editing and then it’s off to the publisher. Well, that’s another thing…

I have been researching publishers, reading about marketing, editors, and all-things-related. I had wanted to be completely done with this in 2014 and ready to move ahead in January. I want to make the right decision, so I have (admittedly) been overthinking this whole thing—just a few more to contact…

I started three websites at the end of the summer: www.brendapoulos.wordpress.com; www.spiritualsnippets.com; and one I share with members of my critique group www.5scribesandtheirstories.com  All of this has been quite a big undertaking—at times even overwhelming—but also lots of fun.

We had a wonderful time visiting friends in Sequim, Washington in May before boarding our Holland American Cruise Ship for Alaska with our Arizona friends, Bob and Mary. Our favorite stop was Sitka, where we would love to spend a month fishing and relaxing in the not-too-far-distant future.

On this same trip, we also spent a long weekend with B.J. and Melissa, and our two granddaughters, Madison and Liliana in Oswego, Illinois. We went on to see our friends, the Bougie’s, at their cabin on Armstrong Creek, Wisconsin and we all piled in together and traveled to Mackinaw Island, crossing yet another item off my bucket list!! If you have never been there, you MUST put it on your bucket list to do so. It is unique, quaint, and breathtaking. Honestly, it was the highlight of our entire trip!

John and I have purchased our “retirement” home. It is in an area abundant with green belts and overlooks walking paths, not far from the lake and clubhouse. We have been remodeling it for 6 weeks, already, with the end barely coming into sight. It is the biggest job we have ever undertaken, but feel we might as well get what we want because this is our last big project before we start traveling in earnest. We are both exhausted when we drag ourselves into bed each night, but we love remaking everything “our own.” (Pictures next year, I promise).Thanks for hanging in there and reading to this point. Only a few more things to say… We’re healthy—and thankful for it. We continue to be able to do almost anything we want. We don’t, however, see near enough movies (definitely need to change this in 2015) and don’t see family as often as we’d like (another thing to remedy in the coming year).

I am still active in church, school and Hospice volunteering, and will take on the presidency of Christian Writers of the West in January. John will be busy at work and with landscaping changes we are making in both front and back yards at the “new” house.

All seven grandchildren are healthy and happy. We miss the two little ones in Illinois, Liberty gave a stellar performance in the Nutcracker last evening, Promise is doing a good job in college, Sy and Owen are enjoying sports and playing in their family-oriented neighborhood. Skylare loves cheerleading.

I appreciate your following my blog. Hope this letter allows you to get to know me a little better. I promise to get back to business as usual in my next post!

Wishing you peace and the Love of Christ in your lives in 2015.

John, Brenda, Baxter, and Brinkley (yes, our dog and cat are still getting along—amazing!)

Mom Loves To Read

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

People sometimes ask me how I got started writing. I think it really started with reading. I grew up in a home where my mother modeled the love of reading. To this day, she always has a stack of books waiting on the end table next to her rocking chair. Her closets are filled with books—not clothes! If you ask her where she’d most like to go, she’ll quickly answer, “The bookstore!”

In elementary school, I was fortunate to have teachers who took time to read to the class after lunch recess. (A perfect way to calm down a rowdy group after a lively game of tether ball). I looked forward to this time of day, as they read to us about children in other countries, cultures, and time periods. My understanding of the power of the written word to transport and inspire began in those classrooms decades ago.

It shouldn’t surprise you, then, to hear that I grew up to be a teacher and that one of the favorite parts of my day was reading to my own class after lunch. I literally had to force myself to read only one chapter because I could have easily read to my students all afternoon! I could look out at that sea of young faces and tell which ones were also caught up in the story and were equally disappointed when we rejoined the present world and turned toward our math lesson.

When my own children were small, I didn’t have a lot of time for writing, so I wrote short stories, poems, or skits. I guess it was just enough to satisfy my yearning to create. But, I definitely wanted more.

Once I retired, I worked part time as a reading teaching for a few years before I decided to write in earnest. I remember the day I first sat down in front of the computer. I knocked out a lone paragraph. I was devastated to realize I had carved out time for my passion to write, but had no clue what to say!

My husband and I love to go to movies, so it was a natural next step for me to try my hand at screenwriting. I loved the action and I could see in my mind’s eye just what my characters would say and do—how they would interact—it was an exciting time for me. However, I soon learned that without relocating and forming connections in a world of actors, directors, and producers I was going nowhere.

So, that brings me to the present. It is a stimulating time for me because I have found that writing fiction fulfills that inner longing to create and bring to life characters that not only I, but other readers, can enjoy. By the power of the written word, my characters come to life. They live, they breathe, they have a voice.

I live in their world, as much as I do in mine. They become my friends and my constant companions. And, yes, I do still harbor that secret hope that some day they will live for all to see—on the big screen!

Please write and let me know how you started your writing journey.

Brenda

Are You Sure We Need to Write Every Day?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

You may have heard that, as writers, we need to write every day—no matter what. I would agree with that, but I (who am not an expert by any means) would say that it really doesn’t matter what we write, as long as we stay in the habit of writing.

We may need to catch up on letter writing, blogging, answering emails, writing Thank You notes, and so on. Let’s not forget the occasional magazine article, Letter to the Editor, or skit for a club or church group.  These take time, of course, and use writing skills, too. So, they may be just as valuable in developing our writing abilities as in our writing that is devoted strictly to our “books.”

The point is, each of us hone our writing skills in different ways. The important thing is that we don’t get lazy and forget what we’re about. Writing is just like any other habit. If it isn’t cultivated, it dies on the vine.

I heard the saying, years ago, that the only way out of the forest is through (the trees). And, it follows that the only way to get a book written is to write!

So, let’s say you’re caught up on all the other kinds of writing in your life. It’s 2:00 in the afternoon. What should you do? Take a walk? Maybe. Eat a piece of left over birthday cake? If it’s chocolate. Call or text a friend and make plans for the weekend? Why not? But, now it’s 3:15. Should you take a nap?

May I suggest that you sit down in front of the computer and read the last few lines you wrote, yesterday? Then, write until exhaustion sets in.

When you have given it your all and you have no more to give, go ahead and go to bed, early. After all, you didn’t take that nap…

Brenda

 

In The Zone

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Ever have a thought that triggers a similar thought, that triggers another, and another? When looking at granola bars at my neighborhood market, yesterday, I saw one called “The Zone”. That made me think of the diet book I read last year. That led me to thinking about the Olympics and a comment made by one of the gold medalists, saying that he did especially well because he was “In the Zone.”

Even though I try to write everyday, I must confess I am not always in “The Zone”—that sweet spot from which I write perfectly. The words just flow. The Point of View Character speaks, authentically. I see the action take place in my own mind’s eye and it translates, precisely, to the paper, via the keyboard.

Yeah. In “The Zone”, there’s no anxiety, other than the suspense in the story, itself. I’m able to express myself just the way I had hoped. Why, it’s effortless!

So, how do we know such a place exists? And, if there truly is such a place as a “zone”, then how does one get there?

Well, I’m no expert, but I have experienced being in “The Zone” a few times. Was my arrival there purely accidental or was it due to some extraordinary effort on my part?

It seems to be that I am closer to writing in “The Zone” when I get caught up in my story, emotionally. When I actually become the character I’m writing about.  That sometimes happens when I take the time to give myself what I call “a flying leap.” That’s when I go back a chapter or two from where I finished off the day before and then read forward to that place where I stopped. Then, I just continue to write on. This gets me back into the character’s skin. I get immersed in the world of my story, again, and let myself feel the emotions that drove my writing the day before.

So, whether we’re talking about a school zone, a safety zone, or a time zone, it seems that being in one is a pretty good place to be. It’s that almost-magical place from which thoughts freely flow and fingers fly across the keyboard. Maybe it’s just another name for that unique world in which writers write at their optimum.

I hear my husband shouting from his man cave about a football player taking the ball into the END ZONE. I guess I’ll paddle down the hall and see what that’s all about…

Ever experience writing in the “pocket”, the “sweet spot”, or “the zone”? Write and let us know how you got there!

Brenda

When I Forget the Words

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Have you seen instances on television of celebrities, football players, and even olympians who don’t know the correct words to the Star Spangled Banner? Or, perhaps witnessed an interview of a person who got tongue-tied, searching frantically for just that right word?

As writers, we have it a little easier than that. Using our computers, we can write and rewrite until we get the words to flow “just right”. We can use a thesaurus and a dictionary to help us choose words and check on meanings.

I recently bought a book called The Describer’s Dictionary by David Grambs. I must confess I have just begun to use it, but to give you an example of how it works, say you want to describe the color black. The book gives these words: ebony, ebon, sable, jet, onyx, ink black, coal black, anthracite.  The book is divided into words for various Shapes, Patterns and Edges, Surfaces and Textures, Light and Colors, etc.

A book I’ve used a LOT, is The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. I truly believe no fiction writer should be without this book. It includes all emotions in an easy-to-use alphabetical format that is further broken down into Physical Signals, Internal Sensations, Mental Responses, Cues of Acute or Long Term experiences of an emotion, emotions that specific examples May Escalate To, and Cues of Suppressed emotions. I especially like the Writer’s Tip which is provided at the bottom of each listed emotion.

So, there are resources out there. I am slowly finding them. If you know of any others that writers might find useful, please let me know. One I’d find extremely useful would be substitutions for adverbs. If there isn’t one out there, already, maybe this would be a project you’d be interested in taking on!

Brenda

Who’s Voice Should I Listen To?

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Will people like it? Is it a “page turner”? Are the characters believable?

If my mother were to answer these questions about my soon-to-be published book, she would answer “People will love it. I could hardly put it down!”  I could ask any number of family members and they’d answer the same.  Families.

If I’d pose the same question to my friends, I’d get a similar response.  Except, maybe for a few who read A LOT. They’d expound by adding comments about spelling, grammar, syntax, and verb tense.

Ah, but now, when my critique group is asked for their honest opinions, I get suggestions for improvement, pointing out issues with point-of-view, voice, and so on.

If I enter a writing contest, based on reading my synopsis and 10-15 pages, judges will use a rubric to assess such things as a good “hook”, marketability, professional impact, and pacing. They may even respond to the question of whether, if they were an editor, they would ask to see the entire manuscript, based on reading such a small writing sample.

From those comments—some from very prejudiced persons—I base my decision as to whether or not my book is ready to send to an editor, a publisher, or whether it is in need of extensive revision. Three groups of people, each with a unique connection to this writer, each with a different focus, each possessing varying degrees of expertise.

So, I’m left with a big decision. Which group, if any, should my professional-writing self listen to? The one with the most expertise? The group of avid readers? Professional judges?

And, if I do listen, do I act on their advice? Do I base my future actions on what they have to say? How much weight do I give their comments over my inner voice—the one that desires to move forward and get that first novel published?

Lots of opinions. Lots of questions. I’m not sure I have the answers—yet.

So, I make a decision to read yet another “how to” book, attend just one more professional conference, sign up for an additional writing course. With added confidence, I  decide to trust—

the voice inside my head,

my gut,

my common sense,

what I know to be true.

Lists, Lists, Lists

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Someone asked me the other day where I write. I quickly answered, “In my home office.” But, that simple question got me thinking about the endless possibilities of places to write that would be relaxing, inspirational, or energizing. And before I knew it, I was generating a list for future reference which I thought I would share, here. Sometimes a simple change of scenery might be just what you need to kick-start your writing day.

I closed my eyes and started my list at home: on a lounge chair in the backyard under a leafy tree; in the comfy reading chair in the bedroom; at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee; on the sofa in my husband’s “Man Cave” (television off and when he’s at work, of course); floating on a raft in the swimming pool.

I expanded my space to include my neighborhood: at the common area we call the “park”; on a bench at the end of the street; at the table in a quaint little gazebo in the middle of our subdivision.

I came up with quite a few more as I enlarged my thoughts to include our entire city:  near the fish pond about a mile from my house; in the sports park (when no games are being played); at one of dozens of coffee houses throughout the city; on a porch swing; in a flower garden; near the sandbox where several children are quietly playing; near a waterfall; in a mall or the corner of a bookstore.

Since I love to travel, I began to think of inspiring places which could easily be compiled into a writing bucket list: sitting near Niagara Falls; overlooking the ocean; in a warm cabin with snow falling outside; on a deserted island; on a sailboat; in the rainforest; at the top of Mount Everest; at the base of the Statue of Liberty; at the President’s desk in the White House; in an art museum; on an airplane; in a hot air balloon; on the porch of the Grand Hotel on Macinac Island.

That list led, conveniently, to when I could write: at sunset; at dawn; during a blizzard; in the middle of the night; after a good meal; on a spring morning.

When’s the best time to write, emotionally?  When I am extremely happy; sad; feeling ‘blue’; lonely; angry; frustrated—any intensely emotional time.

I found that I could keep making—and adding to—list after list. I plan to reread them when my inspiration seems to be depleted. When ideas aren’t coming as fast, and as clear, as I feel they should. Using them to give me that spark—that edge.

So, thanks for the original question. I think I’d better grab that cup of coffee, walk down to the gazebo, and get to work. How about you? Care to try some place new and inspirational?

Have a great day!

Brenda