Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 227

Quoting A Writer Quoting Writers . . .

Reading writers' blogs is a fertile, non-incestuous interchange of creativity that I find, more and more, to be necessary for the upkeep of my mental hygiene.

My blogging buddy, Haley Whitehall, intrepid and persevering soul, created a post with a small collection of extremely potent writers' quotes.

Do go read them and leave her a comment, ok?

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Tagged: blog, Haley Whitehall, writer, writers ideas, writers' quotes, writing blogs

Writing Challenge ~ Use The 1200 Most Common Words To Write A Story…

"For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn."

It's said Ernest Hemingway wrote that six word story. I checked my list of the 1200 most common English words and "sale" wasn't there but "sell" was. "Worn" wasn't there but "wear" was. All the other words were there except "shoes". Not even "shoe" was there…

Of course, that particular list may not be definitive but there is another list of 1000 most common words that has "shoes".

Even though I'm not the kind of person who actually takes writing challenges, I've noticed that many of my blogging buddies do :-)

So, the challenge is on!

I got my first list of most common words quite awhile ago and saved it till I could figure out how to use it in a blog post.

This quote from Mark Twain gave me the idea for my challenge: "I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English–it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them–then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice."

And, even though the first list I'm going to give you may not be definitive, from the description given about its sources, it certainly sounds useful: "This list is from Rebecca Sitton's "Spelling Sourcebook", pages 77-82. It is a 'cross-referenced compilation' of several massive word studies, including the American Heritage Word Frequency Study (Carroll, Davies, Richman), and several other studies, including the work of Gates, Horn, Rinsland, Greene and Loomer, Harris and Jacobsen."

So, even though I doubt any of my readers will take the challenge, I'll still spell it out:

You can use any of the 1200 words in the list at that last link (which is a downloadable Word .doc) or go to the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center website to use a slightly different list of only 1000 words ( and, it has "shoes" :-). That last list is on ten pages of 100 words each, and it's beginning description is priceless:

"The first 25 [words] make up about one-third of all printed material in English. The first 100 make up about one-half of all written material, and the first 300 make up about sixty-five percent of all written material in English."

You can write a story of any length but I hope you'll make it fit into the comments section of this post (or, send it to me at amzolt (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll put it in a follow-up post). And, finally, you can use both lists and, if you don't see the exact form of a word (like there's no "worn" but "wear" is on the list), you can change tense or plurality…

Let The Challenge Begin!!

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Tagged: common words, English language, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Most common words in English, story, story challenge, writing challenge

Be Real ~ Especially If You're Writing Fiction . . .

If we look at the common definitions of "Fiction", we find:

1. A literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

2. A deliberately false or improbable account

3. The creation of something in the mind

If we venture into the history of the word "Fiction", we find meanings like: "something invented", "dissimulation, ruse, invention", "to shape, form, devise, feign", and, ultimately, "to knead, form out of clay".

The meaning of words depends, to a certain degree, on their history: #3 above is similar to "forming out of clay" but #2 is like "dissimulation, ruse".

How do we decide which meaning of a word is the right one?

Where the word is used, or its context, is a strong determinant of what it means.

So is writing fiction all about just making things up?

Is there any need to adhere to reality when creating fiction?

Can fictional writing convey truth?

There was a man, important in American letters, who was an inspiration for Henry Thoreau and Walt Whitman.

That man was Ralph Waldo Emerson and it was said of him: "…the brilliant genius of Emerson rose in the winter nights, and hung over Boston, drawing the eyes of ingenuous young people to look up to that great new start, a beauty and a mystery, which charmed for the moment, while it gave also perennial inspiration, as it led them forward along new paths, and towards new hopes."

Emerson didn't write fiction but I think his statement about it might help resolve some of those definitions up there:

"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."

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Tagged: etymology, fiction, Literature, meaning, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau, Walt Whitman, word meaning

Genre, Genre, Who's Got The Genre :-)

Some folks think my book, Notes from An Alien, is a Sci-Fi novel. Thing is, one of the main characters thinks otherwise…

So, let's look at what can be learned by putting "science fiction genre defined" in Google [If your favorite genre isn't Sci-Fi, hang on just a bit...]:

Wikipedia says: "Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with the impact of imagined innovations in science or technology, often in a futuristic setting. Exploring the consequences of such innovations is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a 'literature of ideas'."

While there are some "innovations" in my novel, that isn't the main theme by any means. Plus, "exploring the consequences of such innovations" misses the entire purpose of my book.

At least Wikipedia, a few paragraphs later, says: "Science fiction is difficult to define, as it includes a wide range of subgenres and themes."

As I checked down the list of sites on Google, I found similar statements of the difficulty in nailing down a definitive definition :-)

So, I plugged in "mystery" and found this, on the Mysterious Times site: "Every author, publisher, bookseller, reader, collector … probably anyone who reads mystery books! … maintains their own definition of what is a mystery and of the genres that comprise the category."

O.K., how about Romance? Back to Wikipedia: After stating plainly that a romance novel "must revolve around the two people as they develop romantic love for each other" and "have an 'emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending'.", then discussing a couple other "rules", they say: "…there are also many books that are widely considered to be romance novels that deviate from these rules."

Hmmm…

If any of you go looking up other genres, would you let me know in the comments if you also found folks disagreeing on just what comprises them??

Next, I put "non-genre" into Google. And, surprise!, I found a popular Sci-Fi site, SF Signal, that had an article with various authors' choices for influential non-genre books.

I also found a GoodReads page with a list of Popular Non Genre Fiction Books. Now, here's a place I really hope you go investigate! I bet we could have some wild discussions about whether those books are all "non-genre" :-)

Back in February, I wrote a post called, What Is A Genre & Should You Try To Write In One? After trying to cover a number of differing views on the issue of genre, I ended up saying:

So the question of whether a writer should try to write in a particular genre could become completely moot. What matters most is good writing, creative writing; even writing that pushes hard against genres and rules and conventions–steps up to the literary plate and belts one out of the authorial park :-)

What are your thoughts and feelings about Genre??

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Tagged: genre, Genre fiction, GoodReads, non-genre, Notes from An Alien, Romance novel, science fiction

Taking Advice ~ Who's Experience Do You Trust?

Blogs written by writers–like this one–can be fascinating places to find experience that can serve as a guide for action.

But, they might be the worst place to trust another's judgement.

It all depends on what guidance you're looking for and the quality of the other blogger's experience.

Most writers' main goal is to be published. Many of those writers want to make money, too.

The world of publishing is undergoing massive flux. Of course, flux doesn't have to mean the industry will change beyond recognition. The new self-publishing methods are still in their early stages of growth and traditional publishing has some strong points that may never change…

My novel is published and its Companion Volume is beginning to come to life. This was a perfect time for me to evaluate what I'd learned through my own experience with the novel (that learning is still in process, by the way) and find out what that evaluation might point me toward in the way of supplementary advice. And, as the Writerly Fates would have it, I found some solid information.

I've mentioned Joel Friedlander in this blog before and linked to his posts. Gonna do it again, right now :-)

The Completely Backwards Way to Amazing Self-Publishing Success, is advice from a man I've come to trust. A person who's been there and done that and can speak his wisdom in ways I can understand and put to use.

Do read the full post. He tells the tale of being involved in a mind-mapping exercise that turned into a self-publishing outline for action.

I'm going to list his main points and make personal comments about what I'm working toward with the Companion Volume (a short story collection in the same universe as the novel).

Research the market: I've been doing this with the novel and it will continue as sales pick up.

Write the back cover copy: I love having this point so early in the process. I've read other writers say essentially the same thing–get a clear, concise statement about the book written as early as possible–make a beacon to guide your voyage.

Design the cover: Again, I feel the seemingly too-early position of this advice is sound. Make the book's image Real–create a visible icon that can help you stay on course.

Write a sample chapter and outline: Enlist your creativity for writing a chunk of the book and form some kind of outline–again, committing to the life of the project.

Design the book: Some folks don't really know what this means… I'd recommend exploring Joel Friedlander's blog, very carefully…

Test the concept: I'll be checking in with readers of the novel (as well as a few other folks) with the test-pack produced in the last four steps to see how they feel about it.

Announce the book: Everyone I can reach who's heard about the novel (whether they've read it or not) will know its Companion is being produced; plus, some folks in a few new "channels of interest".

Write the book: I honestly feel some of this step will have already happened by this point in the process but I will hold off on "serious" writing until I've at least Tested the concept.

Launch the book: Joel's comment on this point is, "Everything should now be in place for success."

One more quote from Joel: "At the end of this process, you ought to have a book that's in demand, has a compelling offer, is properly positioned in its genre, and which people are avidly awaiting."

What are your thoughts and feelings on this process?

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Tagged: book design, book launch, Joel Friedlander, market testing, self-publishing, The Book Designer, Writers Resources, writing a book

Guest Post ~ Writer's Etiquette

Not so long ago, I got permission to re-post an article from Theresa Sonoda's blog, Passion's Gift…. Terri then asked me to Guest Post on her blog.

I chose a topic I've never written about; in fact, never really thought about: Writer's Etiquette << Check it out :-)

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Tagged: author's platform, guest post, Terri's Little Corner, Theresa Sonoda, writer's etiquette, writer's platform, writer's tips, Writers Resources

Reading, Writing, & Publishing Challenge . . .

So, I published a book that I hope can bring about change. It's a novel. I'm going to follow it with a collection of short stories and I hope they can induce change, too.

Some folks feel that fiction shouldn't be used to instruct or inspire or educate or enthuse. I suppose the only reaction some writers try for and some readers seek is entertainment, with heaps of shock and thrill shaken on top…

So, I thought I'd give a challenge, first, to readers: tell any writers you know about this post.

Next, a challenge for writers: conceive of a story that's meant to induce change in people's behavior; or, create a character within a story who's passion is to help folks make positive change.

Finally, a challenge for publishers: Help readers find writers who know how to inspire people, through story, to bring about needed and vital and positive change in our culture…

To help with all three challenges, watch the following video. Oh! And, if you get any bright ideas you want to share in the comments, you'll have a head start on inspiring positive change :-)

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Tagged: change, Dave Meslin, positive, positive change, publisher, reader, writer, Writers Resources

Author Interview ~ Nova Sparks

I'm registered with a site called Blog Tour which has the slogan: "Authors need to be seen. Blogs need content."

I met Nova Sparks on the site and we set up an interview for her. Let's get it going :-)

Nova, where are you from and how old are you?

I'm from the Bronx in NYC. My age is a secret. But, I will say I'm in my twenties. I'm twenty-something.

When did you begin writing and can you remember how it felt inside back then?

The farthest back I can remember starting to write was when I was about 6 or 7 yrs old. My mom bought me a diary because that was the cool thing back then. Instead of writing about the things that happened to me, I made everything up. My mother snuck into my room and found it and read it. She yelled at me for being a liar but realized that I had a knack for story-telling.

Wonderful!

Was there any certain date or time you remember when you began to either think of yourself as or call yourself a "writer"?

Ever since I can remember, everyone has been calling me a writer but I never believed it myself. I've always been writing. Even when I was in high school, I wrote my friend's papers for school so they could get a good grade. The thing about me is that I hate doing what people expect of me. Everyone wanted me to be a writer and I tried to pretend I wasn't interested in it. Everyone thought I was going to be a musician and wanted me to go to college for music, I went for Urban Planning. I pissed everyone off all my life, all while secretly writing TV shows and movie treatments hoping to be a screen or TV writer. I read somewhere that people should be willing to do what they love doing for free. I realized I've been writing all my life, every chance I got. When I finally let a few family members read my treatments, they thought the story was really great. And they are brutally honest so I had no choice but to believe them. I thought I'd give it a shot. It took a while to realize that I was good at writing and an even longer time to start calling myself a writer. I think when I finally say it out loud, my family will say "We told you so" and I hate when people say that.

:-)

What are your hopes, or dreams, or goals for your writing?

My biggest goal is to see my book series turned into a movie. I started off trying desperately to get my first story the DOME on HBO and that failed. Now that the first book is out and I changed it up a bit, I realize that I would love to see it on the big screen instead of the little screen. That is my BIG dream. My small dream is just to be known. I want my stories to be interesting and innovative and I want people to read my stories and know my stories. I don't even care if they know my name. As long as they know my stories, I'll be fine. I wouldn't mind at all if someone says, "I love the DOME trilogy by that girl." I would love that!

Sounds like a very healthy attitude to me…

Have you had any "formal" training in the art of writing?

The only thing I can say is that I took one creative writing class in high school. My strong suit is story creation. I'm pretty good at spelling and formulating a clear sentence, but no one is perfect. I make mistakes sometimes. I edited my first novel because I was on a $0 budget and some people have spotted a few grammatical errors. But I'm human and I'm woMAN enough to admit those mistakes. I'm just happy it's a few and not a TON.

Hey, with my recently published book, even after me and the editor and a number of other authors had gone over the manuscript a number of times, the printed book still came out with a few typos…

What do you feel has taught you the most about "how to write"?

Definitely reading other stories. I try my best not to read a lot of books in my own genre because I strongly believe that, no matter what, you can't ignore what you've read and you may just unknowingly copy a concept from another writer all while really believing you made it up on your own. I've read a few urban fantasy romance novels and I've learned from them. I try not to write the usual story. I know for a fact that there are a gazillion vampire books out there and it's really difficult to come up with a new concept for a vampire novel. I'm going to try to stay away from that. I decided my first book should be in the sci-fi genre because that's my first love. I'm definitely not into Hard sci-fi and my book isn't Hard sci-fi. I like to watch a lot of movies but I do think I'm a little weird. I love sci-fi but don't ask me anything about it because I try not to learn other writer's styles. I love the paranormal and I watch a lot of paranormal films and TV shows but I try not to read a lot of paranormal books because I don't want the concept to be in my subconscious and write a whole book on a stolen idea.

Believe it or not, I learn the most from romance novels and mystery novels. Even though my books are mostly sci-fi/paranormal urban fantasy, there is always a mystery and romance. I'm a huge sucker for romance.

:-)

Who are your favorite writers and why are they favorites?

I can say that my favorite writer is Emily Giffin. I've read all of her books and I love how well she can pull you in and make you beg for more. My other favorite author is super new. He has only published the first book in his Leech series. It's called Caleo and its book 1. It's gay YA fantasy. It's definitely one of my favorite reads and I can't wait for book 2. Really…

Hmmm… Maybe you'll mention his name in the comments, eh? :-)

Where and/or how do you get your ideas for your writing?

I always think of what I would love to see or read. I try my best not to take any ideas from any other author or screenwriter. I'm a huge advocate for original ideas. It is a little difficult to do because who in their right mind wouldn't jump on a popular concept? If the whole world was going witch crazy, why not write a book about witches? For me it's a little different. I look at the popular concept and think of what can I do that is totally different from that, without knocking myself out of the box.

I find that attitude very refreshing, Nova…

What is your normal revision or editing routine?

Lol. Because I edit my books, it's hard for me to find mistakes I've made if I've been looking at it for weeks at a time. Because of that, I force myself not to look at my book for about 5-10 days and when I finally look at it, I find a lot of mistakes I've missed. I recommend that for a lot of self-publishing writers who have a very small budget. BUT I also recommend getting a professional editor to look at your work as well. Someone affordable but good at what they do. It is impossible to find all the mistakes in your own work. Believe me, when I first published I thought I weeded out all my mistakes. I was wrong. But I will say that I weeded out A LOT of the mistakes.

I traded an English Grad student an acknowledgement in the book for editing; still… those typos showed up…

So, you indicated you're published……

YES!!! I am published and it's soooo surreal! I've been secretly dreaming of this day all of my life and it's here. I published my first book the DOME (the DOME trilogy #1) in the beginning of May and it has been getting some really positive reviews so far. I never thought I'd see the day. Book 2 in the DOME trilogy is called the DOME revelation and it is scheduled to be released mid to late July for Kindle and Nook. Paperback will be released soon after.

Please, Nova, tell us about your books…

My first book series the DOME trilogy is my baby. It is the first TV show treatment I wrote and is the one I pushed the most when trying to get it picked up. Here is the synopsis:

What if you knew the exact date and time the world will end, what would you do? Sam Tucker was faced with that dilemma when he began getting visions of the Earth's demise. Luckily for him, he was able to save his family and as many people as he could before the tragic event occurred, and he did so with the help of unknown visitors. With Earth now destroyed, Sam, his family, and thousands of other lucky survivors must live the rest of their lives on a faraway planet in a Dome that simulates life on Earth. But Sam's mind can't seem to rest as a few questions arise. Why did the aliens save them? How did they know about Earth's sure fate? And exactly what are they hiding?

Emma Tucker begged for an escape from her boring life but never in a million years did she think it would come at the destruction of Earth. Living on a new planet and finding it difficult to get rid of her rebellious habits, Emma finds herself making friends with a member of the alien race and it soon develops into an unexplainable love; a love that is more dangerous than she could ever imagine. While her father is searching for his own truths, she has no idea that she is stumbling on a truth of her own.

Told from the point of view of both Sam and Emma, I take readers on a journey to discover love, fate, faith, truth, and the mystery of the DOME!

Seems you got that originality rule of yours woven tightly into the book :-)

Can you go into the "purpose" of the series?

I wanted to write stories where humans are taken out of their comfort zone and forced to recreate what it means to be human. Too many times have I've read a book or seen a movie or TV show where aliens come to Earth and invade or there is a UFO sighting. I wanted to write a story where humans are taken from Earth and have to live on an alien planet with nothing but their memories to start over with. It really forces humans to figure out what really makes them human; and, is it all worth fighting for? It really makes us look at ourselves through the eyes of another species.

I really hope this trilogy shines light on the human potential and the human purpose. I really believe that we are a ridiculously cocky and arrogant race of people and we are never really shown how small and insignificant we are in the larger spectrum of things. But at the same time, I want this book to show how rare and precious we are as well. I thought of this whole concept while staring up at the night sky outside my window which I do for 2 hrs straight every night before going to sleep. The night sky really reminds us of how small we are and how much world there is out there that we haven't even touched yet. The morning sky doesn't have the same effect as the night sky. The night sky is the open window to the universe.

A nightly deep-sky meditation… How cool!

Thank you, so much, Nova, for taking the time for this interview!!

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Folks, here are some links for Nova :-)

Her Blog

The DOME for Kindle

The DOME for Nook

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Now it's time to leave a few comments for Nova :-)

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Tagged: author, author interview, Emily Giffin, HBO, Nova Sparks, Television, The DOME, writer

Controversy ~ A Recent Attempt To Quell It . . .

In the recent post, The Writer & Controversy . . ., I broached the subject of Global Peace; mostly because my novel, Notes from An Alien, is about a civilization growing from greed and war to lasting peace…

The comments were a mixture of hopes for peace and not a lot of certitude that it can happen.

Even in my book, one of the characters (a woman from another star-system) says:

"I can't say I have high hopes for your World's progress toward Peace. There are too many variables and, bottom-line, it depends on a sufficient number of you making the heart-felt decision to work for peace, in every interaction of every day of your lives."

I read a news release today that surprised me. A group of representatives from a diverse set of religious persuasions has sent a message to the G8 and G20:

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BORDEAUX, France, 31 May 2011 (BWNS) – A call for the G8 bloc of nations to take bold action on the interconnected crises faced by humanity.

'[Representative of the Baha'i, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto and Sikh faiths], as well as members of interfaith organisations, [gathered] at the Religious Summit in Bordeaux to deliberate on matters related to the agendas of the G8 Deauville Summit and the G20 Cannes Summit, scheduled for 3-4 November 2011.

"Summit Moderator His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis, Co-President of the Council of Churches of France, told participants that they were face-to-face not just as religious leaders but as representatives of humanity, speaking with one voice to the leaders of the G8 and G20 countries.

"That voice was heard in a unanimously agreed statement drafted at the meeting and later presented to the Secretary General of the G8.

"In addition to recommendations on five major themes–reforming global governance, the macro-economic situation, climate change, development, and investing in peace–the statement called for representatives from the African continent and the Middle East to be included in the G8 and the G20 meetings.

"'Our diverse backgrounds and experience enriched our consultation', the statement said.

"'The trauma of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster described by our Japanese colleagues, the experience and aspirations of our friends from countries in the Middle East and the deep concern of our African colleagues at the continued marginalization of their voice underlined the urgency of the issues under consideration.'

"The statement concluded by urging the G8 and G20 'to continue to expand and strengthen the needed global response to global challenges'."

"'We–leaders of diverse religious communities throughout the world–re-commit ourselves to working together across religious lines for the common good and with governments and other partners of good will. We remain convinced–each in accordance with the teachings of their tradition–that justice, compassion and reconciliation are essential for genuine peace', the statement said.

"'The participants in this Summit demonstrated a sincere desire to find a way to translate the spiritual principles that inform their worldview into concrete and practical recommendations that would assist G8 leaders to address the challenges facing humanity', said Baha'i representative Susanne Tamas from Canada.

"'The genuine respect and keen interest with which people listened to one another and sought to deepen their understanding of complex issues was very impressive', said Ms. Tamas.

"Fellow Baha'i delegate Barney Leith, from the United Kingdom, agreed.

"'The spirit of unity that infused the gathering was deeply moving', he said.

"'There was a strong sense in which all those at the Summit understood themselves to be part of a single human family and to be utterly committed to reminding leaders of powerful nations of their moral commitment to reducing human suffering.'

"The G8 Religious Leaders Summit was held in Bordeaux on the 23-24 May. It was the seventh in a series of interfaith gatherings aimed at identifying areas of moral consensus among religions. Previous Summits were held prior to each G8 Summit in the United Kingdom (2005), Russia (2006), Germany (2007), Japan (2008), Italy (2009) and Canada (2010)."

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To me, this is a rather stunning story. I'm not sure the G8 or G20 leaders will respond appropriately but, if a variegated group of religious leaders can find points of unification, there may be more hope than the character in my book thinks…

What are your thoughts and feelings?

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Tagged: Bahá'í Faith, G20, G8, global peace, Middle East, religion, Religion and Spirituality, World peace

Passion's Gift . . .

Theresa Sonoda is one of my blogging buddies.

She wrote a post recently that blew me away!

She gave me permission to reproduce it here but I strongly encourage you to visit Terri's Little Corner, leave her some feedback,  and subscribe to her blog :-)

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It Took Me 57 Years

Artistic expressionism.  Drive.  Passion.  I get it.  I finally get it after 57 years and 9 months.  And I'm one of the lucky ones.  Many people go their whole lives without getting it.   Many people go through their entire lives in robotic motion, sans emotion, taking up space…wasting precious time.  I don't want that to be me.  That will not be me!

I saw a beautiful human being rendered a crying, hopeless, helpless mess on a reality show this week.  The show was called, "So You Think You Can Dance".  The man was so engulfed in his dancing that he failed to connect with his audience and, unfortunately, came to this realization mid-performance.   The poor soul ended up in a pitiful crying-heap, mid-stage, with not one understanding or compassionate comment offered to soothe his pain.   He simply gave too much of himself and we, the viewing audience, were ill-equipped to accept this raw and disturbing emotion, and consequently did not know how to respond.   What a shame!

This set me to wondering how often this behavior triggers negative/confused/hurtful response from people in everyday life…to those just trying to share their passion, to express their feelings in the one way they've discovered does it for them, whether it be dancing, writing, acting, art, poetry, sculpting, singing, mothering, loving or speaking…by those who want to open their minds but haven't quite grasped the means by which to do so.   How do we all come together?   How do we all understand one another?   I just wish I had the answer.  I can only ask the questions, and hope I open some minds and lubricate the thought-processing mechanisms that are our brains.

Fifty Seven years is a long time to walk this earth and not have a passion, not have a voice, but somehow I managed it.  Fifty Seven will forever be my very favorite age because at 57, I discovered writing.  I discovered my voice.   For those of you who do not have a passion, you will not comprehend my journey, and I would strongly and desperately advise you to find that passion.   For those of you who know how it feels to write something that moves you to tears…those of you who know how a poem represents your sadness, in a way nothing else can….those of you who know how drawing a picture of the clouds viewed from your bedroom window completes you and helps you sleep at night…don't waste your discovery, your passion!  Use it to fulfill you.  Use it to make your life sweeter.  You'll never use it up, as long as you keep using it.   It dries up when you quit.  Funny how that works.

Tonight I write from my heart, and to my friends with love.  Don't worry about me because I've found my voice, my passion, and my life is so much sweeter because of it.  If you haven't found that passion, look for it.  Find it and embrace it.  You won't believe how much fuller your life will be when you find your voice.

Much love from a happy 57 year old writer/mother/grandmother/sketcher/humorist/lover/friend/daughter/human.

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Tagged: artistic expression, Arts, creativity, drive, find your voice, passion, Terri's Little Corner, Theresa Sonoda