Anita Dawes's Blog: http://jenanita01.wordpress.com, page 30

Writing Inspiration!

Magical Cornish Waterfall
 
This magical photograph is an actual place in Cornwall. I know because I have been there. I have stood beneath it, getting soaked to the skin and I have climbed up the rocks and stood looking down at the majesty that is moving thundering water. The sight and sound of it put something in my soul that I know wasn't there before. It was a truly wonderful experience, and if I had the money I would move to Cornwall just to be near it.

If you ever feel a little bit worthless or a waste of space, and I believe a lot of us do feel that way sometimes, you need a place like this. You need to be able to see and feel something that you just know is stronger and more powerful than anything you have seen or felt before. Once you find it, you will be a different person, believe me. I always love to be near water, any kind of water. I wanted to live on a boat when I was growing up and it still appeals to me.

The first time I went to Cornwall I was not really prepared for just how much that County had to offer. Apart from all the quaint old villages there were magical forests, wonderfully rugged beaches and coves, dramatic rock formations and inspiring scenery every where you looked. I have had more inspiring moments in Cornwall than just about anywhere else.



I need some of that inspiration round about now as I am still trying to come up with an equally inspiring plot for my book. I have the characters, location and theme sorted but I would like to have some idea of how it will all work. I keep being told that I should just start writing and let my characters take me for a ride, but I'm not sure if that will work for me. I don't have a clue what will work for me, that's my whole problem right there!

Maybe I am not supposed to be a writer, but I don't really believe that. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time now, and I am determined to try and get it right. One way or another I will get it right and get it done, but where is my inspiration at the moment? I think it is back in Cornwall without me...

Of All The Things...

 My hand beaded Bonsai
 
This has been a very odd week, full of a vastly differing experiences. For a start, I haven't been feeling great and that fact alone seems to affect my workload.

But... and this was a big one... I managed to finish one of my latest projects, the beaded bonsai tree you see above. It is entirely my own design, (although I must admit that the film Avatar influenced me greatly) It is approx 10 inches high and I used masses of the smallest beads I have ever seen. I first got interested in making these trees when I came across a lady in Covent Garden market who made similar trees, using tiny seashells instead of beads. Her trees were beautiful and have remained my constant inspiration. I especially like the notion that they cannot die from lack of attention or daylight. They don't lose their leaves in the winter, and they always look just right! That's an awful lot going for them, right there!

The weather finally decided to behave, so I went on lots of walks to our local pond (its a huge lake really, no idea why they call it a pond!)
It's very peaceful there and I usually get loads of inspiration, but I didn't feel good, so I just sat and watched the ducks. We have been watching a pair of swans this Spring. They built this huge nest and seemed to be sitting on it for ever. But someone said they had seen newly hatched cygnets, so I waited for them to appear. Just when it seemed they would not, I saw a flash of white among the reeds. Then another, and then they sailed into view. They did have some cygnets but for the life of me, I couldn't count them, couldn't even see them properly as they were the same grey colour as the water they were swimming on.
Slowly they came closer and I couldn't believe my luck. I tried to count them again, there seemed to be six or was it seven. Round about then I started cursing that I had not had the foresight to bring my camera. I usually did, but as I said, I wasn't feeling up to much so I hadn't bothered.
Just as I sat there, contemplating what an idiot I was, the male swan suddenly lumbered out of the water and I froze. I knew how protective and dangerous swans could be, and I was barely three feet from him and his beautiful family!
But he ignored me. When his mate lumbered on to dry land, followed with some difficulty by all seven of the cygnets I could hardly breathe. They pottered about for several minutes, inspecting blades of grass and all the babies sat down. They looked a bit tired, very small and so close I could have touched them. But all too soon they left me sitting there with tears in my eyes.
It was the most magical moment, and to say that I needed one right then would be an understatement.

I will be eternally grateful, but will remember my camera next time!

A Glorious Writing Day!

I woke up this morning expecting another grey miserable day, mainly because that's all we've been getting lately, and found the sun was shining! What a difference a little bit of sunshine makes to everything. Enthusiasm and optimism soar and instantly you want to do so much more than you did yesterday. Which to be fair wouldn't be difficult. Yesterday turned out to be non productive day as I simply could not get going. Getting old is turning out to be a real pain!

I have finished reading Elizabeth Sims book, 'You've got a book in you' and I have to say I am now pleasantly inspired to be more than brilliant. She has a way of making you feel so much more competent, fired up to create a mini masterpiece at the very least! Her advice and helpful tips seem to be working, and I haven't implemented them all yet. I am writing character lists and notes all over the place, then putting them all together to make some sort of sense.

More to the point, she has managed to do something to my brain. It seems to be working better than it has in ages. You may remember that I have not written an entire book before, this is all new to me and I was finding it more than a little daunting. I can proof read and edit until the cows come home and I think I am quite good at it, but I was discovering that actually writing something is not as easy as I thought it might be. I'm sure that some writers find it relatively easy and they are obviously very good at it!
But since reading this book I have started to sort out the plot for my book, plus ideas for subplots. And joy above all joys, I have come up with several possible endings.

When I have the plot nailed down, I shall work on the synopsis and possible cover and give you all a sneak preview!

Watch this space!

Writing Progress Update!

I recently read a short story called 'Thirst' from 'The Secrets of the Fire King' by Kim Edwards and I was literally blown away. Basically, it was a reworking of 'The Little Mermaid' story but what a difference!
There was so much more depth and resonance revealing exactly how she must have felt and reacted to her plight. There was mystery, malice and yearning and was quite possibly the most powerfully beautiful piece of literature I have read in quite a while.

All part of the learning curve I find myself on in order to become a better writer. I am discovering that characters must have an 'under layer' (much more depth). Something you feel as a reader opposed to what you see. I am also learning that you have to make time to write. Something I personally have trouble with. My days seem to be filled to the brim with things I have to do, plus all the things I would like to do, that there really isn't enough time for everything.

But I want to write, so I must organise myself, prioritise what I do (and not feel too guilty about the things I don't get time for)

Elizabeth Sims, in her book 'You've Got a Book in You' says that all those jobs and tasks are writing enemies, and I know just what she means. I have been trying to knuckle down and make some kind of progress with my book, and I'm afraid I have let myself down. I thought that if I cleared some of my outstanding jobs, I would have more spare time. What a laugh! It's a bit like trying to dig a hole in a sand pit, I'm getting nowhere fast.

So as a good friend of mine once said, 'everything is important, but nothing is very important.'

I have discovered that you have to write and squeeze life in around the edges -- not the other way around.
You should learn to write as if your life depends on it --because it does!

The Joys of Writing

As much as I love a good book, I also love many other beautiful things. Like the picture above for instance, I think it is stunning. I wish I could create pictures like that. I do try, with my little camera and I quite like some of the images that come forth. I have dabbled with a paintbrush too but know I'm not very good. Which brings me neatly to my new project. ( The Book!)
I am trying to write a novel, inspired by all the books I have read and all Anita's work that I have helped to publish. Whether I will be any good at all remains to be seen, but I am determined to give it my best shot. After all, I think I am a good editor/proofer, and I always got good marks for English, so what do I have to lose?

Anita started wrting when her life was at a low ebb. Losing herself in creating fictional plots and characters turned out to be very therapeutic- not to mention relaxing and soothing, the list of advantages seemed to go on and on. Also, knowing you are in control of this brave new world and control everything that happens must be a very special feeling.
Anita tells me that sometimes the characters take over and tell her what they want to do. That must be truly amazing!

As Anita's editor, the process worked for me too. It was bliss to immerse myself in this newly discovered world.
Mostly tired (or sick) of the way the ordinary world is, what better than to create a world where literally everything can be the way you want it? A chance to show the world that life doesn't have to be like that. A chance to experience what your heart desires, if only for a while.
But do it well enough and it will be remembered.

I can see a small similarity with what Anita does and my bonsai hobby. Some of them I have grown from seed and tended and cared for, trained, encouraged and celebrated as beautiful things. Some people laugh at my 'little sticks' but I can see the end result. Hopefully my efforts with the pencil will be just as rewarding for me...


"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." Maya Angelou.

Worth waiting for!

Hello everybody,  may I introduce you to my favourite bonsai. (see above, as promised)
You could say that it is just an ordinary red Acer, but not to me. He is 45 years old and stands about 50cm in his pot. I have owned him for about ten years and we have moved house several times, but as you can see, it hasn't bothered him in the slightest.

I wait patiently every Spring for the tiny buds to open, and the first growth is always this striking scarlet, followed later in the summer by a greener hue. I take great care of him and all my bonsai, (much to my family's amusement) but even they are impressed by this amazing performance!
When you consider that his counterparts in Nature are huge by comparison, you can understand the care needed to keep him healthy, but I am happy and proud to do it.

Some people think that keeping bonsai is cruel, that I am depriving a living thing of its natural heritage and maybe I am in a way. But this much I know, if my trees were not happy they would die or look sickly, and none of them do, because they all get so much more love and care than trees in the countryside.

One fact you cannot get away from is that you are responsible for them, no matter what. It is like having pets or children, you don't get to have a day off. I am a gardener too, and with careful planning you can leave most gardens for a time if you go on holiday. But not bonsai. In the summer months they need you every day, sometimes more than once if it is very hot, but I don't consider that to be a downside. They give me so much more in return and I love them all for it.

All of this post spells out 'dedication' and in fact that is exactly how I am beginning to feel about this blog. Writing is a serious business and I am approaching it with all the love and care I can muster.

Will what we write be around in 45 years time?

Spotlight on the writing of Bad Moon

                  Spotlight on the writing of Bad Moon
                                                or
                                 (an informal interview with Anita Dawes)
 Today I have dragged Anita away from her writing desk and forced her to sit and talk to me about my favourite book  (and I suspect, hers too)
Good morning Anita, make yourself comfortable and tell us how you came to write Bad Moon?
Hello Jay, this is all a bit strange for me, I haven't done anything like this before, so I am trusting that you are right and it might just be interesting and productive.
I began to write when I couldn't stand all the voices in my head. They would not let me rest until I told their story, and once I started, I couldn't stop!
I just love the minds of the people of small town America, their philosophy and their way of thinking. 
What decided the plot of Bad Moon, was it just your imagination or did something trigger it?
 I was in a pretty bad place at that time in my life and I think that escaping into another world, even one that was not sweetness and light, helped me a lot. There was a song that caught my interest, from Credence Clearwater Revival, about  a 'Bad Moon Rising'. You could say that that was my inspiration right there.  I think song lyrics are very emotive, you can usually come up with a good story to go with them. My book turned out to be the usual story of good and evil; you cannot get away from it, not in nature or human beings. Maybe knowing that what I was writing was not real, helped me in real life. It is possible.
 Is Annie a biographical character? Did you see yourself in her at all?
 No, I don't think so. She turned out to be stronger than I could ever be.
 She seems a lot like you, somehow.
Does she? It was not intentional. My mother was the inspiration for the creation of Annie's mother, and Annie's father reminds me of one of my stepfathers. A long-suffering doormat. All of Annie's relatives remind me of crows at a funeral.
But in the book, Annie's father seems like a nice chap?
Yes, but he is weak, unable to control his wife or her relatives.
 Why did the title lose the word 'rising'? and where did the idea for Pa's grotesque carvings come from. They do sound fascinating... 
I had to change the title because there were just too many books out there with the same title. The idea for the carvings came from my imagination really, although I loved the film 'The Guardian' with Jenny Agutter. There was an interesting tree in the storyline that could have sparked something.
I always love the macabre side , like the 'Tooth Fairy' in The Silence of The Lambs. Making things out of human skin is fascinatingly disgusting, but people have been doing it for centuries. 
Despite all her good intentions, Annie has an incestuous relationship with her brother Nathan, before she falls in love with Josh. Did the thought of writing about incest bother you? 
No, there is more of that going on than most of us realise. I believe it can be a natural occurance, as the love you feel for someone - brother or no - can become so strong and overwhelming. It is possible to love more than one person too, we do it all the time.
Your next book 'Simple' is very similar to 'Bad Moon'. Is that what you intended?
 Yes, because I feel it is a part of who I am, plus I love writing them.
You have not written another story like these two, will you?
 Maybe, but it has yet to be proved to me that people are interested in reading them, although I cannot rule it out as I may not be able to stop myself!
 Well, that wasn't too gruelling, was it?If anyone has any questions or comments, we would be pleased to hear from you!

Thank you in advance!
 

Chasing Daylight

I have been reading a beautifully written and thought provoking book this week, called, 'Chasing Daylight' by Eugene O'kelly. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did, for all sorts of reasons.

For a start, it is all about how he handled the fact that he had only months to live following the discovery of several brain tumours.  I thought it might be hard going, considering I almost died from a heart attack myself two years ago, and still feel I am on borrowed time sometimes.

I started to read, pleased to discover that he handled the news well, that he was determined to die with dignity... all very profound and somewhat comforting to me. He goes on to describe how  he said a pleasant 'goodbye' to all his hundreds of friends, and I found myself looking back at my own life. At what I had achieved, and what I hadn't, how many people's lives had I touched.

Three quarters of the way through the book I began to feel sad - not for him, but for me.
You see, I know now for sure that my life has not been that exciting or profound. Too much heartbreak and disasters for a start.
I have been a loner for most of my life, which will probably be a good thing, as there won't be masses of people saddened by my passing.
That's if I decide to go (I am still undecided about that!)
As Dylan Thomas said, I will 'rage against the dying of the light' as I still feel there is something I haven't done or achieved yet, and there is still time!
Still time to think about all the things I still want to do, or see, or achieve. 'Never too late' is fast becoming a mantra and I wonder what will happen next?

There is a lot to be said for dying suddenly. No time to worry about it or try to plan it, neither of which is very desirable. Mr O'kelly learned to meditate and unwind using water, something I have been doing all my life. Rivers, waterfalls, the sea, all have a deep profound effect on me. The only thing that does, actually.

So, 'Chasing Daylight' was sad but uplifting in a way. The fact that his illness was painless was a blessing and to be desired by all of us, and possibly what stops this book becoming a harrowing reading experience.

I hope the next book I read is more cheerful!

SPRING IS FINALLY HERE!

All of my bonsai are waking up at last, tiny little green buds are appearing all over their bare branches. In a few days they will be covered in masses of new leaves and I can stop worrying; they have made it through another cold winter after all. My family are convinced that I would like to wrap them up or at least bring them in doors, but it is a responsibility that I take very seriously.
Some of them are so small and delicate, it seems impossible that they can tolerate our winters when I myself have trouble! Some of them are more robust and quite old, my favourite is over thirty years now. When this one is in full leaf I will post a picture, it really is breathtaking.

Been busy with ideas for my new project (a novel, God help me!) and we bought a digital voice recorder to help with the extra workload. All I have to do now, is make it work with my 'Dragon'. For those of you who haven't tried 'Dragon' to dictate straight to your computer, you really should, as it saves so much time and it's really easy to use. (says me! You don't want to know how long it took me to find that out!) Two writers in the family might not be such a good idea, but who knows? As they say, you don't know what you can do until you try.

As I am an early riser, I manage to read quite a bit in the mornings. I am reading another Kim Edwards book at the moment, 'The Secrets of a Fire King' and yet again I am reminded of how pitifully inept I am and how good I would like to be. She is an amazing author.

Must go now, lots to do, but I will leave you with this thought...

A weed is just a plant in the wrong place, so is an orchid in a ditch a weed?

Inspiration!

Inspiration!
 I have been a little busy of late, trying to discover why our books are not flying off the shelves. I spend a lot of time reading other writers blogs and helpful articles, looking for that all important magical formula. Or at the very least, some idea that will trigger my brain into seeing what isn't there (and should be!)
I cannot remember who I was reading at the time, but they said something I didn't really want to hear. Could it be at all possible that maybe our books were total rubbish?
Whoever it was, (and it could have been Jeff Goins, Mark Edwards or Laura Pepper Wu, all of whom I respect and find totally brilliant!) but it got me thinking. Something must be wrong, but was it the cover designs, the descriptions, tagwords, categories or, wait for it, the actual writing?
So I have set to with more energy than this rotten weather dictates. I have re-created the cover designs, upgraded all the decriptions, checked that all the tagwords ect are as good as I can get them. I have re-edited all the books, although I must say, I think they were pretty good to start with.
Saying that, I have just finished reading Kim Edwards book, 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' and I know that she writes better than we do. Beyond a shadow of a doubt!
What Kim has done, it transpires, is inspire me so strongly to actually write something myself. I'm the oily rag remember, I don't do writing (that's Anita's job) It might work, but I've not done it before.
So watch this space! [image error]