The Newsletter Stand

Green Light - short story

WORK-IN-PROGRESS

I I know they say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but my sister Lisa is lucky. I wish I had what she has, and I wonder; How many other writers out there have it?It being the ability to sit down with a clean sheet of paper, or blank computer screen and produce a seemly flawless final draft. Right from the get go.

I'd discount her ability, chalking it up to a ‘fish story' if I hadn't witnessed it myself. We were in Gold Beach, Oregon a few years ago, visiting our mother. Nine of us rented an A-frame cabin on the side of a mountain. More family members came in and out during our eleven day stay. Music, people and laughter filled the air. A large kitchen fully equipped with food, spices, pots and pans and a large wooden ‘work table' filled the center. In the grate room, huge log beams hung above our heads. A TV sat in one corner and a very old dinosaur of a computer(with Windows 95) rested on the other side or the room on top of a table, not nestled in some quiet spot deep in the basement of the house, but flanked to the left of all the action.

On several occasions, I sat in the small ladder-backed chair, with fingers poised on the keyboard ready to write. Hah! Junk, not even worthy of the ‘save' button popped up on the screen. With so much activity around, I couldn't concentrate. My sister however, had no problem. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, approach the computer, sit down and write. The rest of us scattered on the floor, a card game in one corner, and a small jam session erupting in another. "Good luck, Lisa," I muttered as I dealt a hand of 500-rummy.

I'd like to think my positive words --sent her way--helped her creativity but I know better. After an hour, she turned her head over her shoulder and made an announcement, "Listen to this," she said to us.

A few moments passed before she had everyone's attention. She cleared her throat and began to read. It was a short story. A children's story. And her nephew, the star had taken the form of a seagull. Her words had a story arc reaching high into the soft clouds of a blue sky and rounded down again, landing with soft giggles into the hearts of us listeners. For a few brief moments, our card game forgotten. I was amazed. I was jealous. How could she do that? Sit down and write a beautiful story in no time?

You know what? We all have our own approach and style and mine isn't so automatic. So for those of you who are slow starters or steady writers, here are two ticks I use to help keep me focused, creative and chugging along.

Notes, lists, pictures I'm big on note taking, well, let's call it jotting. One to three word phrases meant to jar my memory for later when the real writing begins. I'll write on anything; torn scraps of paper from my electric bill, the back of my hand, napkins...

I'm also a big fan of lists. Character descriptions are generated from lists I've made; too much make-up, white teeth, hair spray..., scenes almost always start out with a list; tennis court, cracks in surface, thunder in the distance

Then there are the pictures. Cut from magazines, or printed from the Internet. Anything I see that feels like it might inspire my story is cut and printed.

What do I do with all these little scraps of inspiration? I tack them up on a wall. Yup. I slapped some butcher paper on the front of my closet door in the spare room to create a "wall". Yes, just like Russell Crowe did when he played John Nash in A beautiful Mind.

Music - Music is a big part of my non-writing life, so incorporating it into my writing life felt natural. Several years ago, I considered music a distraction. Then, I participated in National Novel Writing Month and the suggestion was made to play the genre of music which fits the genre of your writing. I love this approach. I have large collections of iTunes, so it's easy for me to generate a play list for a work-in-progress writing. Try it!

Maybe one day I'll can sit down and type out a final draft right off the bat. I'd even settle for a second draft. Until then, I'll use notes, pictures, music and my beautiful mind wall to get me going!

Have fun and keep writing.

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