Julia Karr's Blog, page 10

Harvesting ideas

I can’t seem to stay away from gardening and writing analogies! I’m sure that’s because everything outside my house is bursting at the seams! As that old show tune goes… June is Busting Out All Over!

Although the focus of that song has more to do with the figurative birds & bees (wink, wink), June is the beginning of the fruit here at the Karr homestead! I picked the first batch of ripe cherries (pictured below), the blueberries are blushing purple, the gooseberries are ready to pop, and the blackberries form a wall of busy humming from the bees and other pollinating insects.

What does this have to do with writing? Well… sometimes ideas take their time ripening, but when they do, you’d better be ready! Chances are (oh, musical interlude!)…

Now… back to our regularly-scheduled blog…  Chances are your ideas (like harvest-ready fruit) will come faster and more furiously than you anticipate!

In the same way as me having my canning jars, freezer bags, and pectin close at hand; when scenes, character sketches, and plot points are bombarding me from all different directions – I make sure that I’ve got notebooks, index cards, and/or my favorite writing program (Scrivener) easily available.

In making the most of the fruit harvest – I need to consider all options – some will get eaten fresh or baked into pies or muffins. Then there’s canning and freezing of fruit I’m not prepared to use right away. And, since these particular fruits tend to overlap in readiness – I need to decide which I’m going to deal with first, second, etc.

Writing-wise. if I’m working on one particular story and another pops into my head – I take the time to make enough notes on it (either jotting down a scene, a brief synopsis, whatever will jog my memory) so that I won’t forget the idea – but then I leave it and go back to what I was doing. Knowing that I’ve got that new story on ice (so to speak), I don’t have to fret… I’ll get back to it when there’s time. Which may be a long way away! (I’ve got many partials, notes, and other jottings of stories waiting to be written – some I’ve had for years!)

Later then – like going through the freezer and choosing from gooseberries, blackberries, and cherries to make a fresh pie in the middle of the winter – I can go through the “writing ideas” files on my computer. I have many ideas to choose from, because I “preserved” them when they were fresh and for me that works pretty well.

How do you capture your ideas that come at less than opportune times? I’d love to know!

 

 

Way down, below the ocean* – technology lets us go there

I have always loved “ruins.” I remember looking for arrowheads in the cornfields when I was a kid. Even today I can’t dig in the garden without wondering what I might unearth. (So far I’ve come up with a few marbles, a couple of broken bottles & shards of pottery, some very rusty old hinges, and a railroad spike!) I must have been an archeologist in another life.

Yesterday on my Facebook page I posted this link to an article about an Egyptian city (Heracleion) that had been buried in the sea following an earthquake thousands of years ago! You should take the time to read it & watch the clips at the end – amazing!

That story, which I found fascinating, reminded me of a documentary I’d seen about the Black Sea and Dr. Ronald Ballard’s research work on shipwrecks. Although he’s most well-known for his work on the Titantic, I find his exploration of the Black Sea even more interesting. Here’s a bit of a glimpse into his findings in the Black Sea.

I am amazed & thrilled that we have the technology to explore and recover these shipwrecks!

When I was a teenager, Donovan was one of my favorite musicians. What is not to love about this boy?!

A mystical romantic with dreamy eyes and an enchanting voice – and a wordsmith extraordinaire! Perhaps this song of his helped shape my love of cities hidden beneath the waves.

Does any new technology have the key to the mysteries of your youth? I’d love to know!

*from Atlantis by Donovan

Days like today – thinking about creativity

As I write this I’m listening to an early work by Mendelssohn  - he was in his teens when he wrote it.

I’m easily impressed by someone so young writing something so beautiful. Even more impressed by my favorite composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was nineteen when he wrote this.

Anyway… I was thinking how dabbling in creative outlets other than writing – such as listening to music, reading, going to the movies or a play, visiting an art museum or gallery, etc. – almost always leads to an increase in my own creativity.

In her seminal work, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron refers to this as “filling the [creative] well.

However, my well-filling doesn’t always involve the creative arts. I can find just as much inspiration from walking down a country lane, playing with my granddaughter, or planting flowers.

Inspiration, no matter what the source, fans creative embers into flame. We need all of the arts, all of beauty, nature, and other creative spirits so everyone can fill their wells.

Have you a particular well-filling activit or person that revitalizes you? I’d love to hear about it!

 

It’s Caturday!

Of course, every day at my house is cat day – but on Caturday, I wanted to single out and share some of the besties from the week!

Today is Baxter, having a little bird’s foot soup! (Silly Baxter!)

Then again… what kitty wouldn’t love to drink some birdie-bathing water?!

Have a fabulous weekend, y’all!

Gardening and Writing – Part III, Trial and Error

Final thoughts on this whole gardening & writing analogy. Some things work, some don’t.

I started seeds indoors for the first time. Not all of them sprouted. Of those that did, not all of them made it. Not everything I planted out has grown. And, even with those plants that are growing – there are still a lot of variables as to what may happen between now and harvest time!

And… oddly enough – some of the best things growing right now are volunteer plants from last year’s crops!

How does this relate to writing?

Not all ideas are going to be more than ideas. Not all stories you start are going to be finished. Not all the finished stories are going to be worth editing. And… even if you write a great story & get it published – you have no idea how it’s going to be received by the public – period.

As with gardening, where the joy of a perfect tomato (or a perfect peony!) is in the entire process of getting there – so with writing, the act of gathering your thoughts together and seeing your story through to its logical conclusion is where the real pleasure and satisfaction lie.

There you have it – writing and gardening – both are worth the effort, at least in this gal’s world!

What say you? I’d love to know!

 

Gardening and Writing – Part II, Not so easy after all!

Yesterday’s post was all about how easy some gardening (like some writing) can be. And, it’s true. Some books seem to write themselves, some plants need very little tending – just plant and watch them go!

Today I’m getting down to a little more of the nitty gritty! Without amendment, this is the kind of soil I have… not exactly the beautiful back loam that makes gardeners turn green with envy, is it?!

I took this pic as I was weeding today. You can see how dry and packed the top of the soil is. It’s hard clay and needs a ton of improvement. (Did I mention I’ve neglected my yard/garden for the past 13 years?!)

Actually, clay soil has some good points. Here’s a nice article about the good & bad aspects of clay soil. Let me highlight one good point that ties into writing – clay soil is generally very fertile.  And, one bad point – it’s harder to work!

Some stories come easily – most do not. The initial idea may be great – the fertile imagination leaps forward, and you find yourself scribbling words on the page almost faster than you can think them. But, then… it all stops! You have to dig deeper – and boy, that can be hard! It feels almost seem impossible to break up the surface thoughts and get down to what your story is really about. With perseverance and practice (i.e. writing every day), you can get your thoughts worked up enough that the initial idea (your seedling, as it were) has a place to take root and grow into the story you’d imagined when you started.

As you dig and scuffle and amend your mental garden, you’ll find that your book mind is producing what you’d hoped for! Just like my actual garden (yes, that hard-packed clay soil amended with my own compost) is producing these fabulous heirloom Romaine lettuces.

We all have to work with what we’ve been given. It might be weedy clay soil that needs lots of work. It might be a great idea that needs examination, brain-storming, and lots of effort. Either way – know that your ideas are worth taking a chance on – and if you amend your thinking in ways that make sense – your story will get established in your brain and grow in the best of ways! You just have to work on getting the right mix! (in inspiration and in fertilizer!)

How’s your garden (book-related or plant-wise) growing? I’d love to know!

 

 

Gardening and Writing – Part 1, Easy, Peasy!

Now that I am no longer “workin’ for the man” (yes, I’m a child of the ’60′s) – I have time to pay attention to my yard and garden. Let me tell you – 13 years of neglect shows! I’ve got my hands full with weeding, digging, and general overhauling! But – some plants just seem to take care of themselves. Like these beautiful blackberries!

These berries are so prolific and low maintenance – except they can totally take over the area! I have to prune them every winter, and this year I’ve tied them up (although you can hardly tell it!) and next year I’ll probably be even more brutal!

That reminds me of the first book I completed. The first draft practically wrote itself! It was heaven to be so much in love with a story that even as I was typing it, it seemed like I was reading it instead! Easy, peasy!

Then I’ve got these guys! The prickly gooseberries!

They’ve been easy, too. Except for things like picking (ouch! thorns!) and then two years ago they were attacked by the dreaded currant fly – and boy, was that ever a chore to get those things destroyed! Not fun at all!

I would liken that to getting a first draft done and then handing it over to your critique partners! Ouch! Some of those suggestions, as good as they are, hurt! And… what if mid-revision you realize there’s a bigger problem! You’ve got to go after it like the story’s life depends on it! It can probably be saved!

And, last of the berries… the blue kind!

I’ve got two blueberry bushes. This is the first year I’m going to have more than a handful of berries. The bushes took special care planting, they need a particular type of soil and mulch and fertilizer. I hope I’m doing it right!

They remind me of a book I’m working on right now. It’s taking more research, careful plotting, and mindful nurturing. It’s not a “straight from God to the page” book. And, for me that’s different. Not bad, just more of a challenge.

Berries and books both need the proper care and feeding to become the best they can be. Fertile ground, pruning, and fearless fixes when things appear to be disastrous are absolutely necessary!

Writers love for their readers to see the end (best) results. But, I can tell you – not everything in writing and gardening turns out exactly like one hopes it will. Tune in tomorrow for part 2 – when things are less than perfect!

The shape of foods to come…

This recent article on 3D printed food as an antidote for world hunger… well, just wow!

The method reminds me a bit of what I imagined in XVI.

Chapter XII, 1st paragraph: “I’d finally gotten all Gran’s recipe chips loaded into the cook center and was busy cleaning the containers and filling them with ingredients.”

And, it’s reminiscent of the way astronauts used to eat, but different than the way they do now.

I suppose over time a person could get used to ingesting all their nutrients via pellets, pills, and even printed food (although from the pictures accompanying the article, I see it doesn’t look like the original food.) However, as accustomed as one might get to printed food, I’ve been wondering what that implies for mankind not nutritionally, but emotionally and spiritually.

Although ecstasy and some foods 

are near synonymous, I doubt xeroxed food can ever replicate the pleasurable experiences of say… plucking a hot, ripe tomato from the vine, or munching a crisp, cool sugar snap pea – especially if you’ve grown and tended them yourself.

Selecting fresh foods and preparing them gives one a sense of well-being that goes beyond the mere satisfaction of accomplishment. Attendant in food preparation is a connection with the earth, and the mysteries of creation itself. There’s a poem that graces the Yeast Breads section of my ancient Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cook Book (picture below)* that poetically explains the spiritual connection.

“Back of the loaf is the snowy flour

Back of the flour, the mill,

And back of the mill is the wheat and the shower,

And the sun and the Father’s will.”                                                                                                                                      —Maltbie D. Babcock

The simple act of sharing food creates a bond. Most celebrations include food – holidays, picnics, birthday, festivals, and so on. Sometimes food itself is the focus for celebrating, like Chocolate Fests, Strawberry Festivals, Persimmon Festivals (yep – they exist – YUM!)

And, the act of feeding others – be they friends, dinner guests, a baby, an invalid, an aged relative – is both nurturing and emotionally rewarding.

While copied food may feed the body, I’m just not sure how it can nourish the soul.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to know! (Comments are moderated, so may not show up immediately.)

*Note: This cookbook was given to me by my grandmother on my 18th birthday. My younger daughter borrowed the sadly dilapidated tome (it was duct-taped together, pages were falling out, stained with years of use, etc.) and reconstructed it by taking it apart and putting each page in a plastic sleeve and all in a new binder that I can easily use. Each stain and well-worn page reminds me of earlier days in what has always been a busy kitchen!

 

Days like today – thinking about online presence

I’ve been really, really quiet on the blog front (no postings since March!) So, I’ve been rethinking what my online presence might be, and decided I’d like to make my posts, tweets, etc. reflect more of who I am as a multi-faceted person.

Not only am I an author, I’m also a sister, a mother, a grandmother, a companion to cats, an aspiring gardener, music lover (once upon a time not-very-good pianist!), vegetarian, etc. We’re all multi-dimensional – that’s what humans are! (And it really helps in the writing biz!) But, I am hoping to share a bit more of my real life where it intersects with my internet presence. Maybe getting even closer to who I actually am outside of the inter-webbies!

Anyway, a large part of “life’s rich pageant”… (check out this scene from A Shot in the Dark for that quote!)

(I love Peter Sellar’s Inspector Clouseau!) is getting to know others. That being the case, in the comments (which are moderated thanks to the ever-present spammers who offer so little, so often!), I’d love to hear what you think of your own on-line presence.

Are you a blogger, a reader, a Facebookie, a Tweeter – all, some, or more than these? How do you like to interact with the internet? I’d love to know.

And, just for taking your time to comment, I’ll draw three names and send some bookmarks your way!

Have a great day!

The Kindness Project post

Today I’m blogging at The Kindness Project about a person I admire very much.