Rebecca Moll's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Same time, last year... Same place...
This time last year I was doing much the same as I am today, waiting for Julia to finish her last exam and another year at Marian, sitting Starbucks, lost in the clouds of writing a book. As Julia closed out her 1st year at Marian, this time last year, I wrote the last chapter of The Beauty of Digging Deep, and the words, The End.
Yet, far from the end, it was just the beginning. Today, I had hoped to write the same two last words on my novel-in-progress, but, alas, it seems, I have much still to say. The story has more to tell, the tale is just beginning...
So, as I ponder the quandary of time and place, look back and look forward, I can say it has been a great year.
To sweet endings and fresh beginnings, God bless our boys and girls, as they meet their milestones. May you always live, love, and be happy. 😄
Yet, far from the end, it was just the beginning. Today, I had hoped to write the same two last words on my novel-in-progress, but, alas, it seems, I have much still to say. The story has more to tell, the tale is just beginning...
So, as I ponder the quandary of time and place, look back and look forward, I can say it has been a great year.
To sweet endings and fresh beginnings, God bless our boys and girls, as they meet their milestones. May you always live, love, and be happy. 😄
Character Development for Badass Writers by Keith Blenman, A Book Review by Rebecca Moll
Ever try your hand at fiction? Feel like your characters are part of the great flat Stanley family reunion?
Well, then get a copy of Keith Blenmans's Character Development for Badass Writers. Funny and smart, this little book will get your characters off the page, far away from the Stanley-clan, and into real life.
The sweet spot is in the exercises. Answer the questions, do a little daydreaming and then paper to pen, my friend.
After all, writers are pretty badass. Shouldn't your characters be badass, too?
Well, then get a copy of Keith Blenmans's Character Development for Badass Writers. Funny and smart, this little book will get your characters off the page, far away from the Stanley-clan, and into real life.
The sweet spot is in the exercises. Answer the questions, do a little daydreaming and then paper to pen, my friend.
After all, writers are pretty badass. Shouldn't your characters be badass, too?
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, A Book Review by Rebecca Moll
Who else to give advice, On Writing, than a writing phenom?
Years ago, I stumbled upon a short story collection of King's and was shocked to find two of my favorite movies, Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption. Thus began my appreciation of King's storytelling. Let me say, I hardly read horror, but I love Stephen King's writing.
So, when my daughter brought home On Writing for her AP English class, I waited patiently until she was done and then snatched it up 🙂
King does not disappoint. His straight forward, practical, and sometimes hard to hear advice, such as "kill your darlings," is just what a writer needs, whether a professional or a just-for-fun writer.
Even better is identifying your own evolution as a writer on the spectrum he illustrates. Where you are now, where you were 6 months ago, 6 years ago, 60 years ago. Writing is a process, A to Z, far from linear, a humbling, frustrating, enlightening, and sometimes, oh, so satisfying process. Seeing yourself in the process helps you to move forward, to make the necessary changes that hold you back.
Want to write? Want to write well? Then study those who do, like Stephen King, author of more than 50 books.
And, most importantly, do like King: Read, Read, Read.
With that, I must agree.
So, get the book. Read the book.
On Writing is dead-on. Of course it is. Expect anything less from the King of Horror?
Years ago, I stumbled upon a short story collection of King's and was shocked to find two of my favorite movies, Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption. Thus began my appreciation of King's storytelling. Let me say, I hardly read horror, but I love Stephen King's writing.
So, when my daughter brought home On Writing for her AP English class, I waited patiently until she was done and then snatched it up 🙂
King does not disappoint. His straight forward, practical, and sometimes hard to hear advice, such as "kill your darlings," is just what a writer needs, whether a professional or a just-for-fun writer.
Even better is identifying your own evolution as a writer on the spectrum he illustrates. Where you are now, where you were 6 months ago, 6 years ago, 60 years ago. Writing is a process, A to Z, far from linear, a humbling, frustrating, enlightening, and sometimes, oh, so satisfying process. Seeing yourself in the process helps you to move forward, to make the necessary changes that hold you back.
Want to write? Want to write well? Then study those who do, like Stephen King, author of more than 50 books.
And, most importantly, do like King: Read, Read, Read.
With that, I must agree.
So, get the book. Read the book.
On Writing is dead-on. Of course it is. Expect anything less from the King of Horror?
When Words Speak Louder than Actions...
While reading A Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and pondering a quote comparing President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln, "Washington is the great man of the era of the Revolution. So will Lincoln be of this (2nd Inaugural Address, March 4th 1865), but Lincoln will reach the higher position in history," it occurred to me that sometimes Words speak louder than Actions.
My understanding of Washington is limited to formative education, the "Cherry Tree Story," and "Crossing the Delaware," and a trip to Mount Vernon as an adult. I understand he was a brilliant man, an avid agricultural experimenter, and a great leader. But, my understanding of him, as a person, is very much two-dimensional.
Lincoln, on the other hand, is a very different story. Three dimensions are not enough. A voracious reader, prolific writer, lover of poetry, second only to Winston Churchill for legendary quotations, it was his words that color my understanding of him.
Of course, his actions speak for themselves and there are countless volumes written about what he has done. Yet, when I think of Lincoln it is his words. He may have been known as the "Rail-splitter," but his real gift was in dividing words and delivering ideas.
"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham Lincoln.
I have always wanted to go back in time and meet the giants of history we revere. I am sure, given the opportunity to visit George Washington, it would be a memorable occasion. I am sure we would share a cup of tea, have cordial discourse regarding the annual planting and perhaps our new nation, and I would most certainly take a peek at Martha's embroidery. All very well and proper.
Yet, should I travel to visit Lincoln, I see us sitting by the fire, our feet propped up on a table, swapping stories, laughing uncontrollably. I would cherish the twinkle in his eye as he delivered a punch line and memorize his magnanimous countenance. Our parting handshake would be vigorous and an invitation to revisit, a given.
"Actions" may speak for themselves, but once retired to the annals of history, it is "Words" that define us. And while sometimes history is recorded to serve the agendas of those less honorable than Honest Abe, making it a tricky business to qualify what really happened, in the end, all we can do is, "Speak Now or Forever Hold Our Peace!"
My understanding of Washington is limited to formative education, the "Cherry Tree Story," and "Crossing the Delaware," and a trip to Mount Vernon as an adult. I understand he was a brilliant man, an avid agricultural experimenter, and a great leader. But, my understanding of him, as a person, is very much two-dimensional.
Lincoln, on the other hand, is a very different story. Three dimensions are not enough. A voracious reader, prolific writer, lover of poetry, second only to Winston Churchill for legendary quotations, it was his words that color my understanding of him.
Of course, his actions speak for themselves and there are countless volumes written about what he has done. Yet, when I think of Lincoln it is his words. He may have been known as the "Rail-splitter," but his real gift was in dividing words and delivering ideas.
"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham Lincoln.
I have always wanted to go back in time and meet the giants of history we revere. I am sure, given the opportunity to visit George Washington, it would be a memorable occasion. I am sure we would share a cup of tea, have cordial discourse regarding the annual planting and perhaps our new nation, and I would most certainly take a peek at Martha's embroidery. All very well and proper.
Yet, should I travel to visit Lincoln, I see us sitting by the fire, our feet propped up on a table, swapping stories, laughing uncontrollably. I would cherish the twinkle in his eye as he delivered a punch line and memorize his magnanimous countenance. Our parting handshake would be vigorous and an invitation to revisit, a given.
"Actions" may speak for themselves, but once retired to the annals of history, it is "Words" that define us. And while sometimes history is recorded to serve the agendas of those less honorable than Honest Abe, making it a tricky business to qualify what really happened, in the end, all we can do is, "Speak Now or Forever Hold Our Peace!"
The End.
The End.
Two very sweet words. My third full-length novel. This time, a mystery. Love, hate, revenge, and fate. The elixir of life, a distillate of the soul.
Now begins the process of editing. The whittling of little lovelies or the killings of my darlings, as someone once said. An unpleasant task that hopefully produces pleasant results.
Perhaps by the summer's end, maybe as the leaves emerge in a burst of color, I will share my latest creation.
Until then, it is the eraser that will prevail over the pencil and in an attempt allow for beauty, my heart over my head.
Your friend,
Rebecca
Two very sweet words. My third full-length novel. This time, a mystery. Love, hate, revenge, and fate. The elixir of life, a distillate of the soul.
Now begins the process of editing. The whittling of little lovelies or the killings of my darlings, as someone once said. An unpleasant task that hopefully produces pleasant results.
Perhaps by the summer's end, maybe as the leaves emerge in a burst of color, I will share my latest creation.
Until then, it is the eraser that will prevail over the pencil and in an attempt allow for beauty, my heart over my head.
Your friend,
Rebecca
Thoughts upon reading, How to Read a Novel by Caroline Gordon
"The writing of a book is like a journey across an apparently trackless waste." ~ Caroline Gordon
I agree.
The whole process in an unmooring and gravity-less experience that at once, both exhilarates and unsettles. Yet, it just this so-called singular experience in mental & spiritual lands unknown that allows one, in both writing and in life, to break free of norms, move around assumptions, to feel and to think beyond our society and self-made dimensions.
Time in the wilderness,
Freedom to explore,
Steeped in soliloquy,
Await what's in store.
New understanding?
Compassion before?
Tear down the door,
Explore, evermore.
Create your own lore,
Change the world, four-score.
~Rebecca Moll
I agree.
The whole process in an unmooring and gravity-less experience that at once, both exhilarates and unsettles. Yet, it just this so-called singular experience in mental & spiritual lands unknown that allows one, in both writing and in life, to break free of norms, move around assumptions, to feel and to think beyond our society and self-made dimensions.
Time in the wilderness,
Freedom to explore,
Steeped in soliloquy,
Await what's in store.
New understanding?
Compassion before?
Tear down the door,
Explore, evermore.
Create your own lore,
Change the world, four-score.
~Rebecca Moll
Thoughts upon reading Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott ~Rebecca Moll
Be kind and practice life…
I remember a boy in the fourth grade who was the funniest kid. Doug. He had this way of scrunching up his face, widening his eyes, even dropping a few well-placed words and the whole class fell to fits. Inherently funny, he was, effortlessly so. I only have to conjure his boyish face, stringy arms and legs, and slip slap antics and I feel the laughter bubbling up from my take-myself-too-seriously adult depths.
Anne Lamott hits the spot much like Doug always did. Bullseye. Dead center. And if you are a writer, a title earned by profession or just for the sheer love of the art, spot on is what you need when it comes to writing advice. Few endeavors, other than, perhaps, a tone-deaf soloist on America’s Got Talent, preclude the ability to remain objective like writing fiction. And, few, bear the brunt of lovingly placed well-intended platitudes that delude you into continuing down a road that should have never been traveled in the first place.
This I know. Having worn many hats, a few amply compensated careers, none of which included writing fiction, I can tell you when it comes to creative writing, deep down honest-to-goodness fashioning your own world and all the little people in it, like a god with a big messy ball of clay and only three days left to finish, who spends an eternity on just the wings of a single mosquito, is an endeavor totally inside the brain, closed in the closet, or as Stephen King says, with the door closed. No checks and balances along the way. Just the grand finale prospect of Applause! Applause! or a face full of shame and a heart full of pain.
If you don’t write, let me clue you in…
Sharing your work is akin to birthing to a baby that inherits all the physical characteristics you abhor about yourself, showing that baby off for the very first time, agonizing every second while you hold your breath, your heart in your throat, desperately hoping for coos and woos, not the pinched smiles that say, thank the Lord it’s not my kid!
But, step outside your brain, come out of the closet, and write with the door open and improve you will. So, open the door you must, grit your teeth if you must, and sharpen your pencils ahead of time. On-pointe constructive criticism from a trusted friend, family member, fellow writer will get you half-way there. The other half requires humility. Humor yourself. And on that note, Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in her unabashed totally hilarious way.
Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life is a wonderful go-to book, even if you rarely put pen to paper. For at the crux of the matter of writing and most everything in life is the need to be kind. Kind to yourself. Be kind to others.
“You can either practice being right or practice being kind.” ~Anne Lamott
Even employing the word practice imparts kindness, and understanding that we are all human, we make mistakes, we try again. Like Catholics us “practicing Catholics,” and doctors “practicing medicine.” And in our failings, we identify and connect with others through humility. Of course, one hopes their doctor will find humility somewhere other than the surgical theater and your left, &%$@, I mean, your right knee.
A book to add to your list, Bird by Bird is a keeper. If you write, get a copy. If you don’t write, get a copy. Clear out the closet, open the door, and get outside your brain. Be kind and practice life, one bird at a time.
I remember a boy in the fourth grade who was the funniest kid. Doug. He had this way of scrunching up his face, widening his eyes, even dropping a few well-placed words and the whole class fell to fits. Inherently funny, he was, effortlessly so. I only have to conjure his boyish face, stringy arms and legs, and slip slap antics and I feel the laughter bubbling up from my take-myself-too-seriously adult depths.
Anne Lamott hits the spot much like Doug always did. Bullseye. Dead center. And if you are a writer, a title earned by profession or just for the sheer love of the art, spot on is what you need when it comes to writing advice. Few endeavors, other than, perhaps, a tone-deaf soloist on America’s Got Talent, preclude the ability to remain objective like writing fiction. And, few, bear the brunt of lovingly placed well-intended platitudes that delude you into continuing down a road that should have never been traveled in the first place.
This I know. Having worn many hats, a few amply compensated careers, none of which included writing fiction, I can tell you when it comes to creative writing, deep down honest-to-goodness fashioning your own world and all the little people in it, like a god with a big messy ball of clay and only three days left to finish, who spends an eternity on just the wings of a single mosquito, is an endeavor totally inside the brain, closed in the closet, or as Stephen King says, with the door closed. No checks and balances along the way. Just the grand finale prospect of Applause! Applause! or a face full of shame and a heart full of pain.
If you don’t write, let me clue you in…
Sharing your work is akin to birthing to a baby that inherits all the physical characteristics you abhor about yourself, showing that baby off for the very first time, agonizing every second while you hold your breath, your heart in your throat, desperately hoping for coos and woos, not the pinched smiles that say, thank the Lord it’s not my kid!
But, step outside your brain, come out of the closet, and write with the door open and improve you will. So, open the door you must, grit your teeth if you must, and sharpen your pencils ahead of time. On-pointe constructive criticism from a trusted friend, family member, fellow writer will get you half-way there. The other half requires humility. Humor yourself. And on that note, Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in her unabashed totally hilarious way.
Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life is a wonderful go-to book, even if you rarely put pen to paper. For at the crux of the matter of writing and most everything in life is the need to be kind. Kind to yourself. Be kind to others.
“You can either practice being right or practice being kind.” ~Anne Lamott
Even employing the word practice imparts kindness, and understanding that we are all human, we make mistakes, we try again. Like Catholics us “practicing Catholics,” and doctors “practicing medicine.” And in our failings, we identify and connect with others through humility. Of course, one hopes their doctor will find humility somewhere other than the surgical theater and your left, &%$@, I mean, your right knee.
A book to add to your list, Bird by Bird is a keeper. If you write, get a copy. If you don’t write, get a copy. Clear out the closet, open the door, and get outside your brain. Be kind and practice life, one bird at a time.
