Now That I Write

My high school experiences included friends, fun, and learning. In all honesty, I experienced mostly fun and friends. I knew the purpose of friends and fun, but I sometimes questioned the same with regard to things that required study time, such as Algebra, World History, and Nineteenth Century Literature.

Possibly the time I spent doodling on my notebook during classes accounts for why I missed important information that could have lead to me being a more informed individual. I thought I was saving my sanity.

Although I loved to read, “studying” literature was not the same and I thought Edgar Allan Poe’s writings were dark and chilling. I did not consider his works to be great reading during the daytime and they were downright frightening when tackled as late night homework.

My take on learning about nineteenth century authors could have been summarized with one question: Do I care about dead authors? I’m sure my lack of interest screamed to my teachers that I was not a serious student. However, I did learn enough to earn grades that did not produce frowns from my parents (and for many years I could quote a large chunk of “The Raven”).

Now that I write, I’m much more interested in the lives of those dead writers and what made them tick. What I have come to realize is that possibly all writings somewhat reflect the lives of authors, as Poe’s dark writings reflected the darkness in his life.

While I’ve had people ask me if my novel is about my life (perish the thought) it’s worrisome to think that maybe someone out there is analyzing my story and assigning me a classification from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Yikes!

Novel: Child of Desire

Clipart from Acertijos y mas cosas

Advice

Never continue to read a book that contains grammar and spelling errors, excessive repetitions, or unrealistic dialog. There are hundreds of thousands of books from which to choose. Don’t “settle” for irritating reads.

Clipart from Santa Clara Library

Link: Child of Desire

The Power of Reading

Enjoying life is a great gift, but sometimes the stresses of life rob us of our joy. Often when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I curl up with a book and become lost in a good story. While reading, darkness is dispelled by imaginative authors who employ humor as they create characters with unique personalities. These talented authors lure readers into a positive world that provides a temporary escape from trouble and pain. 

During an extended stay with our younger daughter as she valiantly battled cancer, relatives and friends joined us in reading and sharing stories. These entertaining stories lifted spirits and the sun seemed to peek through the dark clouds of fear.

Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, is one of the talented authors whose works we chose to read. We laughed our way through Mma Ramotswe’s hilarious adventures at her very own detective agency in Botswana while trying to guess how she would arrive at solutions.  

Another series we enjoyed was The Mitford Series by author, Jan Karon. Ministers’ spouses and/or children in our little group could easily identify with Father Tim as he dealt with situations and people in his church. While laughing at the way he handled unusual problems, we rooted for him to find a wife.

I will always be aware of the power of these stories to relieve stress and provide joy during that very stressful time. 

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe."~ Madeleine L’Engle

Link to: Child of Desire