Monday, February 13, 2012

My Origins - Mostly


Today is the Origins Blogfest. In a perfect world with a perfect blogger you should be able to click on that image above an get to the link that explains this blogfest and gives you the list of participants so you can go and read far more interesting Origin Stories than mine. But this ain't a perfect world and I am not, well, let's not even go where no man has gone before, and discuss my blogging abilities. If you want the dope on this particular blogfest go here www.dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com Even here DON'T click on the Origins image in the blogpost, BUT go over to the right and click on it there. (After you read Don's awesome Origins Story, of course.) Got that!


Anyway, I wrote my Origins Blog Post about ten days ago and it was all ready to go, all I had to do was hit the publish button. But, then I got cold feet. Now those of you who follow me know that I'm more than willing to take my clothes off in public and tell you what a goof I've been over some stupid thing, but I decided I was not ready to be that NAKED in front of you and tell you all about my life.  


How many of you can tell me the exact moment you grew up, well, maybe grew up is too broad a term, but the exact moment you knew things were never going to be the same for you on most levels.(This is without having anything to do with sex. Please!) I can, but I'm not ready to do that yet. So instead I'll give you part of my origins story. The most recent part. Sorry if it's not too exciting, maybe some day I'll be adult enough to tell you the rest, just not today. 


Since that moment in my life when I knew nothing would ever be the same, I started writing. Journals and notes mostly. I never showed it to anyone. A lot of it I did not reread, but I did want to record it. Record myself and my feeling, emotions the things I had witnessed. You know, it's easy to retell a story, it ain't so easy to recapture the essence of the story, the time, exactly how you felt all of the emotions involved. Anyway...I had all these thoughts and notebooks full of just that.


When I moved to the Caribbean - on to the next adventure - I decided I needed  to do something different. I decided I wanted to write. I read voraciously. I read everything; junk fiction,(this would include newspapers and news magazines) good fiction, classics, non-fiction, how-to, heck when I run out of reading material I turn to the Internet or even the back of cereal boxes. I also read the Scriptures. Surprised? That's probably an entirely different blog post.


Anyway, I started thinking I could probably write better than a lot of what I read. So I went back to college. I'm always going back to college. I probably have enough credits for three degrees, but I don't have enough in any particular discipline to qualify. Anyway, this time it was writing. You will note I didn't bother with any grammar courses, particularly punctuation.


Currently I have written three full length novels. I'm not sure what to do with them.I've written some 'shorts' for contests where mostly I was quashed pretty badly.(Maybe,not as bad as it felt, but I like that word- quashed.)

Recently,I entered a short story contest,1000 words or less (not exactly my forte) with a deadline of 1/30/2012. The topic was cities. Capture the metropolitan experience. I dug out my old notes and wrote a piece from my experience. From my emotion. From my heart.It may have been my best work yet. Could this be where writing wants me to go? I don't believe in coincidence.



I don't write for money,(HA, ha, ha) I would take it but, I write for me. Me, I would like to make an impact with what I write. Not just an impact on your wallet but on your mind. This particular short story and something else I read recently, got me to thinking. Is it possible that writing fiction based on history, my personal history, would encourage people to do research? To check my facts.To look into the past with a hope of making the future better. Noble thought, this. 


Isn't that what writing, good writing, should be -- Noble thoughts put down on paper, naked for the scrutiny of the people. Maybe that's a whole new Origins Post for next year.We'll see.



34 comments:

  1. Hello! I enjoyed your post. Your comment about writing from the heart is possibly your best writing yet, well I would agree with you. Writing from the heart, filled with the emotions felt rather than any potential pound and dollar signs has got to be the best way to write.

    I am your newest follower and thanks for my follow too.

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  2. Beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.

    As for growing up, well, I'm 41 and I'm not sure I've grown up yet. LOL

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  3. Thank you for sharing. Writing has helped me through hard times as well and I still keep a journal today. Keep on writing with your heart :)

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  4. I am really happy to find this web site, just what I was searching for : D besides bookmarked .

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  5. I've never been brave enough for journal writing so I applaud you for that.

    This is a lovely post and I thank you for sharing.

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  6. *Noble thoughts...naked for the scrutiny of people*

    You had me at Far Away Series, ya know. I'm sensing LIFE is pretty damn rough for you, of late. I hope it passes easy and quick enough, without you getting *quashed*!

    The journey DOES have its way with us, doesn't it. Writing is a most glorious vice for healing what hurts inside. And YOU are good at it!

    Love! and Light

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  7. I wish I would have written a journal when I was younger, but for some reason I thought it was too girly...like a diary. I think I would have made more of an effort earlier and maybe taken more writing classes in college. Oh well.

    I'll be waiting to hear that other Origin story...when your ready to tell it. I LOVED this one!! :)

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  8. I got a little naked in my post. Kind of regretting it.

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  9. I really love your post...I've entered contests and been crushed every time I don't place...but have to keep plugging along, trying to find an agent for my novel. Hope you find your groove and the metropolitan story starts to move things along for you! Nice to meet via the bloghop!

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  10. Hi! I'm dropping by from the Origins blogfest. I enjoyed reading your writing story. I hope you get to publish all 3 novels one day.

    Your newest follower,
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  11. What a beautiful post. I found it so touching, but also loved your humor as well. Had to laugh about clicking on the picture at the top as I have had my own problems with that sort of thing!

    Thanks so much for coming by my blog, I'm so glad to meet you.

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  12. Good for you for going to college and pursuing your dream. They fester if you starve them, you know.

    Why not try Kindle Publishing for one of your novels? I will help you if you wish. I will send good vibes for you winning that short story contest.

    Mark Twain advised writers to write for themselves until somebody paid them to write. Live your dream. Dare to leave the shore. Oh, and you are a writer and a blogger, too.

    I am so harried as a rare blood courier that I have no time to visit these days. Have a lovely week, Roland

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  13. That is exactly what writing should be. Wonderful post!

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  14. No such thing as coincidences! And I guarantee you could write something better than what's on most food packages.
    Have you heard back from that contest yet?
    Thanks for participating in the blogfest.

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  15. I do hope one day you'll tell us the rest of the story. :)

    You have a great reason to write and how you came about it.

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  16. Many of us get started because we've read a book and thought, surely I can do better than that.

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  17. >>...1000 words or less ... The topic was cities. Capture the metropolitan experience.... It may have been my best work yet.

    Please Email it to me. I'll remind you before you balk, Chicken Little, that you owe me one. 'Muddy' demands that he be reimbursed.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  18. When I started my historical ficiton novel in 2004, I thought I was writing just for me, but then somebody (my husband) pushed me out of my safe little world. Now the book is out there ... in the big world. Not everybody likes it, but some people do -- and that makes all the stress worthwhile!

    Sometimes, we just need a push to share!

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  19. I don't know about growing up, because I'm only 21, but I can tell you I know my scholarship and college changed my life forever. It really made writing easier in the long run. Wonderful post!

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  20. Three novels is amazing and such an accomplishment. I look forward to the day you publish them. :-) Great origins story. I got a little naked but I was ready! It felt good.

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  21. A great origin story! I write for myself, too, because my primary goal is to have fun. I hope I still feel that way as the reviews come in (I'll just bury myself in writing to cope). Congratulations on what you've accomplished so far, and best of luck in the future!

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  22. Such a profound and heartfelt origin story. I haven't read anything like that at all today.

    I appreciate your sharing with us a little bit of yourself.

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  23. This is a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing what you could.

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  24. I think we can only truly write for ourselves. Thank you for sharing your story.

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  25. Great origin story - and so inspirational actually... Thanks for sharing.

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  26. This was a great post, written from your heart. Thank you for being so candid. I know it is hard to bare all-take off all our clothes on here. Like you said, maybe for next year's Origin's blogfest, but hopefully by then you will have one of your novels published or at least well on the way. I really liked your touching post.

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  27. I believe writing from the heart will always take you to where you need to be. Enjoyed this post.

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  28. I love the idea of writing from the heart - writing for the love of writing. Thanks for sharing.

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  29. Becoming something is rarely if ever a moment in time. Many things work together to shape us and there is a continual influx of new things that continue to shape us on our journeys to who and what we are.


    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog
    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

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  30. I love the idea of noble thoughts on paper. And I do think that's what writing should be. :)

    Thank you for sharing this part of your story!

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  31. Oh, I forgot completely about the diaries. I don't know when I started with those, I stopped for some years, but by now I need to record everything, too.

    What kind of novels did you write?

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  32. Well said! Good luck with your three novels. I, too, am a non-publishing writer. Getting proceeds kind of takes the "fun" out of it - it becomes more like work. Of course, if a publisher came knocking on my front door ...

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  33. Whether for money or not, a good writer always makes and impact on their reader's mind. Good for you and your ongoing reinvention.

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  34. Thanks for sharing your Origins Story, and for commenting on mine. I appreciate it.

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