Alma’s Comments (group member since Jun 09, 2009)

Alma’s comments from the Q&A with Alma Alexander group.

Writing, the actual act of writing, is a solitary occupation - and it isn't until a piece of writing gets out into the world, gets read, gets responded to, that it begins to really live. Encounters with fans, real people who have picked up something you've written and LIKED IT, are like cool water reviving writerly spirits that might be drooping or wilting in that solitude of creation. We write in order for our words to be read. Encounters with fans validate us writers and make us happy... and give us the strength and inspiration to carry on. So, on behalf all writers to all the fans out there - thank you.

The Edge of Propinquity is a web magazine that features "short stories exploring the world ... of the unexplained, supernatural, magic, horror, duty, responsibility, black humor, conspiracy, unknown heritage and power." In other words, my kind of place, and they have just posted a short story of mine, Choice. It begins:

"The first time Essen Bligh met the angel, she did not recognize him.

"It wasn't hard to understand why she failed – the man who sat down next to her on the subway during the evening commute back home was just another man, another commuter, who sat down next to her in silence. He was wearing a grubby leather jacket that looked as though it had seen better days, and underneath that a T-shirt with a half-obscured slogan tucked into a clean but faded pair of jeans. Essen could not help but notice his shoes, a clean but worn pair of sneakers – and that there was a piece of duct tape that appeared to be holding the left one together at a strategic point."

Read the rest at:
http://www.edgeofpropinquity.net/libr...

First and most important one of all is simply this - do not take anybody else's process as the One True Way. Every writer has something special and personal to bring to the writing method - and often the process for individual BOOKS will vary for any given writer, too. In other words, write something every day - but don't beat yourself up if you miss a day. Often a break is exactly what your process needs to recharge.

The only real way to learn to write is... to write. It's been said that you need to write a million "practice" words before your first TRUE writing shows up...