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Posts Tagged ‘community’

Don’t Bluster…

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 16, 2013 | Leave a Comment »


Bluster – definition: to talk or act in a noisy, boastful way.

One way to ‘turn people off’ around you is boasting about your accomplishments, it is seriously uncool! If you share your triumphs and give back with them then that is much more acceptable. Therefore I am sending out a huge thank you to my newest followers – I hope my words and encouragement will help you along your writing journey. As always I love to hear about your own experiences. That is the premise of my blog and the global community it is linked to.

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I’m open to suggestions for topics and love sharing others enlightening words as well as have an open door policy if another author would like to be interviewed.

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I’ve Been Interviewed…!

Posted in authors, writing journey, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2013 | Leave a Comment »


I had to share…Mitch interviewed me on his blog. So cool & thank you Mitch.

http://www.gmitchellbakerauthor.com/interviews-with-authors-and-friends.html

 

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A Lesser Used Word..? & Sunday Snippets…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, writing journey, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2013 | 6 Comments »


Forlorn – definition: 1) feeling sad and lonely especially because of being left alone: 2) hopeless

Forlorn_Puppy_by_ajsharmaForlorn Puppy by ~ajsharma

As I was searching for a suitable picture for this post,  I came across many images of puppies, abandoned buildings, sad looking children, graveyards and distress in many forms. The word is a very powerful image maker but it seems to be out of fashion when it comes to its use now-a-days.  We have all read the classics where a woman is described as forlorn when her love is not requited or lost. The imagery of her gradually failing and becoming waif like is very strong.

Such an emotive word should not, I feel, be lost to the language of story telling. Of course we can use other words, such as desolate, bereft, miserable, wretched and even forsaken, which is in decline as well, I believe but forlorn is the ‘king’.  A puppies pleading eyes can only be forlorn.

I found a beautiful poem by Bernd at http://timelessferry.wordpress.com/

Forlorn, for the first time ever – lonely.

Forlorn, gone is the love of my life, happiness is destroyed.

Forlorn,  dominated by grief, tears flow and flow, will never stop.

Forlorn, deep pain rips everything deep inside me, it is excruciating.

Time passes, really too slowly.

Time shall heal wounds, heal pain.

Time may you tell me, is it almost time?

Time let me know, when I’m free again.

The hope, I carry with me.

The hope, each day a new attempt to live, to survive.

The hope, find peace with the pain.

The hope,  to break free from the shackles, let go the old things, finally find new happiness.

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Also as it is Sunday Snippets – I have included a short piece from the 18th century period of my novel, The Twesome Loop. Gabriella has found her husband’s brother to be truly understanding and her affections are clear. When her husband William decides his brother has over stayed his welcome :

Things Lost

“It is time you took your leave, my brother, you have dallied here far too long. I will purchase the villa in Agagni and want you to organise it on my behalf.”

“You may want to inspect the building and grounds before the purchase, William. May I suggest you travel to Italy to see the details are correct?”

“I am confident you will ensure all the details are correctly documented, Arthur. I have organised a carriage to take you to Dover in the morning.”

Gabriella’s dismay must have shown on her face.

“Are you sorry to see my brother leave, my sweet?”

“I am – he has been good company these past few weeks. The tales of his travels have been most entertaining.”

“Well, you shall be travelling with me in a few months time to my new property in Italy.”

“I look forward to seeing Italy; from what Arthur has told me, it is very beautiful.”

The evening seemed to draw out for hours before William finally left for his room.

“Please do not leave me here with him, Arthur. He will surely subject me to his lusts once you are gone.”

Fellow Snippet Bloggers:

http://mermaidssinging.wordpress.com/

http://caitlinsternwrites.wordpress.com/

http://ileandrayoung.com

http://wyrmflight.wordpress.com/

http://www.mandyevebarnett.com

http://womanbitesdog.wordpress.com/

http://jennykellerford.wordpress.com

http://jennifermeaton.com/

http://richardleonard.wordpress.com

http://jordannaeast.com

http://letscutthecrap.wordpress.com

http://writerscrash.blogspot.com/2013/01/critique-blog-hop.html?showComment=1359314347792#c7304398839545720473

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A Sincere Thank You…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, writing journey, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2013 | 1 Comment »


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I surpassed 500 likes (actual figure 673) on 10th February 2013 – for some reason  I did not  share this knowledge although I did a happy dance to celebrate. However, there is no way of knowing what my current count is – yes I’ve looked extensively through the help pages and my stats page :( – so I suppose I will have to wait until a 1000 likes icon appears.

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My motivation to share now is to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to visit, like and comment on my musings. It is my hope that you find my words fun, enlightening and helpful. I truly believe to share my journey is my mission. If I help only one or two writers from struggling in isolation I will be happy. Reaching out across cyber space as well as locally has brought me in contact with some wonderful people and enriched my life.

Daisy

So I will raise a glass and toast you all using today’s word as my inspiration. Boisterous – definition: 1) a. noisy and rough : rowdy  b. marked by high spirits; 2) vigorously active : stormy. Might as well make a noise about it.

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Writing v Social Media…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2013 | 8 Comments »


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The writing life need not be a solitary one anymore. With today’s technology, we have the ability to connect with other writers around the globe. Some may say it is not a ‘real’ connection but as with any relationship, it’s what you put into it that makes the difference. I am a strong believer in ‘sharing’ – hence my bi-line, because I am open to this resource, I have met some wonderful people. Some are at the beginning of their writing life and others established and published.

However, the sheer abundance of web sites can overwhelm us. It is not possible to link to them all without detriment to our craft. The answer? Select sites and blogs that not only appeal to you but have a common thread or instruction to your particular  interest, genre, style, skill level or indeed fancy. With careful selection you will be able to cultivate a rapport with the chosen authors. This in turn grows into a support system. Don’t think that your views or opinions are not worthy because everyone can derive something from them. Fresh eyes can see what experienced ones may overlook.

Careful selection also means you are not overloaded with notifications and a sense of guilt for not commenting or responding. Thus you can balance actual writing time with ‘socializing’. Yes I understand that once you click it is very difficult to leave but leave you must – I have found limiting my time on social media has helped a lot and because I have spent more time writing I feel good about myself and the body of work achieved. Choose your own period of social time and keep to it. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule. If you happen to link up with someone who needs your help or whose help you need then logging off is not productive or well mannered.

My desk calendar word for today is : Endemic. The definition is  1) belonging or native to a country or people  2) characteristic of a certain area, region or environment.

Our writing community makes us all endemic to this ‘world of words’. We may sit at our desks, in a comfy chair or under a tree to write but our characteristic as a ‘weaver of words’ makes us a member of a unique country – even if it is largely in cyber-space. The more we share, support and encourage each other the better our own writing will become – it’s a win, win situation.

Paper- Writing

I had to share this :

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Blog of 2012…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2012 | 5 Comments »


Blog of the Year Award 4 star jpeg

Hello to you all and firstly I must say a very grateful thank you to Vikki from  http://the-view-outside.com/

She was kind enough to nominate me for this wonderful award and I would recommend you visiting her blog in a nano-second.

The rules are fairly easy – you can find them here

http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/

For my pay it forward I nominate the following awesome bloggers. Each one has a different writing journey and that’s what makes them all so fascinating.

http://wildhorse33.wordpress.com/

http://sogsblog.com/

http://alboudreau.wordpress.com/

http://weaklyshortstories.wordpress.com/

http://writetodone.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LittleBurstsOfInspiration

Enjoy their words and then nominate your favorites. Enjoy this festive season and I hope you are all happy, healthy and safe in 2013.

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Newest article for Strathcona Connect…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


Family

As the old saying goes ‘nothing stays the same’ – children grow up and leave home, relationships alter or falter, younger children may have issues with peer groups or school and the elderly have to adjust to new circumstances and lessened abilities. Life can throw us curve balls at any time and how we cope depends on our personality and family situation. Each event affects us in many ways, emotionally, physically or financially and it is our ability to deal with the transformation these events bring that can make us stronger with help. Our capability to adjust has many variants – it might be our age or how we relate to others or how well we know ourselves. No matter what life throws at us we can seek help – there is no stigma in using professionals to help clarify, support or assist us in coping or adjusting. We do not have to struggle alone and it is certainly not a sign of weakness to reach out.

One look at the demographics of Sherwood Park gives us a real insight into our fellow residents – married couples hold 60% and single persons 27% of the population, leaving 9% for divorced and 5% for widowed.  Within these figures the age groups are fairly evenly spread – 0 – 4yrs 20%, 15 – 24 yrs 14%, 25 – 34 yrs 11%, 35 – 44 yrs 16%, 45 – 54 yrs 17%, 55 – 64 yrs 13% and 64 plus yrs 10%.  (www.zoocasa.com) Within these groups there is the potential for a diverse range of difficulties, which can be influenced by the ethnicities of the population. The top ethnicities are 42% British, 17% Canadian, 14% Ukrainian and 11% French (www.zoocasa.com) This makes Sherwood a real melting pot of diversity giving its inhabitants a uniqueness all its own, which makes for a interesting range of problems to overcome.

There are a multitude of resources we can access through the Internet, our own practitioner or the local library as well as community services. Whatever your situation and cultural background there is a local community service that can help with any circumstances we find ourselves facing. That one local resource is Family & Community Services (http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/family-community-services.aspx) This Strathcona County service covers a variety of social programs for a wide range of family problems from teens to the elderly and everything in-between, giving answers and support to best effect. You may be surprised how diverse the service is once you browse their web site and there is always a friendly voice on the other end of the phone.

In times of strife the ‘virtual’ options for social connections are not enough – face to face conversations and understanding means so much more and in the end leads to better resolution. So don’t feel isolated, there is help available within a stone’s throw.

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Interview with Jason E. Maurer…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


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Jason was kind enough to interview me for his blog and when I offered to reciprocate his reply came back so quickly I thought it best to get it on here PDQ! Thank you Jason for being so kind to me and as promised here is my interview with you. Find him at – Jason’s Writing Corner.

• Of the characters you have created or envisioned, which is your favorite & why?
I’ve had so many over the years that were great- but unfortunately most of my older stuff is long gone.
Right now, my favorites are Phoenix and Milo, from a work-in-progress.

• Do you favor one type of genre or do you dabble in more than one?
It all depends what the story is about. I’ve tackled mystery, vampire, teen issues, a children’s book, as well as erotica. Unfortunately, most of the my older stuff has long since been lost. This is why I tell everyone the importance of backing up EVERYTHING (or at least having it in printed form).

• Have you got a favorite place to write?
I like to go into the mountains and sit by a stream somewhere, it’s relaxing and enables me to think clearly.

• What inspires your stories?
I have so many ideas running around my mind that it’s difficult to say precisely where any particular one came from. Family, friends, everyday events, people-watching, everywhere.

• Do you belong to a writing group? If so which one?
I belong to several author groups on facebook, but that isn’t exactly the same thing.

• What age did you start writing stories/poems?
I wrote my first story around age 12, something about kids being lost in the forest. I used to write poetry all the time through my teens, but all of that is gone now.

• Do you have a book published? If so what is it called & where can readers purchase it?
I have one novel, one novella, and several short stories for sale on amazon and smashwords.

http://www.amazon.com/Jason-E.-Maurer/e/B0080HHLPC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jasonmaurer

• If you could meet one favorite author who would it be and why?
Tough choice. My favorites have always been Dean Koontz and Anne Rice [and eventually J.K. Rowling when the Harry Potter series arrived]. I couldn’t choose just one.

• Where can readers find you and your blog?
If you check out the About Me / Links page on my blog, everything is all in one neat and tidy place.

http://jasonemaurer.blogspot.com

• Who is your best supporter/mentor/encourager?
A few of the best friends a guy could ever ask for- Amanda, Ang, Krysta, and Theresa. They’ve been my support group for the last few years, pushing me to write, and telling me my stories were good even when I didn’t think they were.

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Another year…another AGM…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


This Saturday marked another year for my Writers Foundation and as I attended the AGM, I thought of our past year. Our foundation is very involved in its members and the local community and at times we are spread quite thin. However, the camaraderie at each event makes for a wonderful time for all those involved and brings us closer to each other. I usually volunteer for most of the events – not because I’m trying to be a ‘goodie too shoes’ but because they are so much fun.  It isn’t until the annual review at the AGM is read through do I realize actually how many events. There are the annual events like our Conference, Culture Days, Words in the Park and Arts Expo as well as author readings, meetings for our board and other organizations we are members of. Newer events like our Night Writers, which is mini workshops, have been successful as we endeavor to give our membership every opportunity to participate and share. Obviously not everyone can commit to so many events and that is absolutely fine – if they can attend for a few hours at one or two events that helps tremendously.

As we go into our next year with new board members, we are excited at our growth as a writer’s resource and community. We welcome local and virtual members and hope to expand our presence whether it is in our community or globally through the web site. www.wfscsherwoodpark.com

Do you participate in a group that makes life joyful?

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Liester Blog Award…

Posted in Writing, Writing Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 7, 2012 | 9 Comments »


Vikki from The View Outside kindly nominated me for this award. Thank you Vikki. Now to the nitty gritty…

What keeps you writing when you have writer’s block?
OK I’ll cringe and whisper it…I don’t get writers block. If anything I have to fight off my muse who crowds my mind with stories.

Most writers have a literary counterpart—a character from their stories who reflects themselves. Tell us about yours.
There are elements of me in my stories – my likes and dislikes and many ‘what if’s.

What are your passions?
My writing, learning more of the art, my writers circle and time with my kids.

You’ve had a fight with your significant other and you want to fix things.
Cozy up with a large bottle of wine, a great movie and popcorn.

What’s one injustice you see in the world that you would fix in a story?
I actually wrote a novel – Life in Slake Patch – which had women ruling the world and being respected.

If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
To have my family from England and my life in Canada merge.

What’s important to you at this point in time?
Cultivating a writing community

Who is your hero/heroine?
I have many but a few are favoured – my father, Stephen King and Steve Irwin.

Do you make it a habit of telling others what you thought of their work, even if your experience wasn’t good?
I adhere to my writers circle mandate – use constructive critque and be respectful.

What is good will?
Kindness and friendiness to those around you.

What would it take for you to make friends with an old enemy?
Enemy is too strong a word. I have intensively disliked a couple of people but as time passed I found myself feeling sorry for them and let go of the ‘hold’ they had on my emotions.

I nominate -

Gerri Bowen    Linda Pedley (wildhorse)   Suzi Burkett (Sog’s Blog)

Kathy Temean    CL Parks    Laura Stanfill    Pixiebubbles     Patty Mitchell

Andrea Lewis       A Penn (littleburstsofinspiration)

365-days-of-novel-writing.blogspot

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