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Five years ago, a cross country trip led me back to Michigan to (once again) start over. Writing was all I had left. I was living in a trailer park on the decidedly wrong side of the worst side of the tracks, had no job, no money, no self esteem and no joy in my life. At the lowest point, I found this really cool writing site. WDC let me have a place where I could practice the one good thing I had left. Lo and behold, I made friends and got solid feedback. The shine peeked out from behind the clouds. I turned yellow and the sun shone. I found a job and a better place to live, all the while pouring my heart out into my writing. I made special friends (you know who you are!) and became confident in not just my writing, but in me, in my life and in everything I did.
WDC was the catalyst that got me living again, and for that, I shall be forever grateful! Happy 10 years to the BEST writing site online. I've spent a very happy five years of it with you and will spend the rest of my life here!
Pretty darned good job, SM and SMs...you give the party, but WE get the presents all year round!
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This week's newsletter was supposed to be an interview with an awesome writer...no, storyteller, (well, both!) named Sheila Kay Adams. Life intervened on her end and well, the interview will wait. I've been devouring her books and enjoying being transplanted to the Appalachian Mountains and reading the tales of generations of mountain singers and balladeers. She's a seventh generation balladeer and full of interesting stories. I'm really looking forward to talking to her at length and then sharing all this with you.
But, as I said, something came at her from left field. Life can change without warning, without notice and without our having a choice in the matter. So I was sitting here trying to come up with another idea for this newsletter. Hubby came up with a couple ideas, including this one. So, okay, now I'm happily figuring out what to write . . .then BAMM! A two year old issue (a very sore point, still, for us) came out of nowhere and slapped us upside our heads throwing a damper on our day, our moods and our plans. A low blow, a swing of a rather nasty bat and we were down for the count. For a while, at any rate. Then Hubby grinned and said that this goes right along with the newsletter idea he'd had.
Life has a habit of coming at us. We can't duck and usually, we can't hide. So we deal. Somehow, some way we deal and go on.
We make a stumbling block into a stepping stone!
Hence this newsletter. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is especially true in writing. From the day to day distractions, interruptions and occasional brick walls that we, as writers, deal with to the fact that we tend to want 'happy little lives' for our characters. And, I might ask, why should THEY have it so good? Point is, they shouldn't.
Characters grow and tell their story through adversity, distractions, conflict and mayhem. Toss something at a character from left field and see how they handle it. Don't be afraid to toss in a roadblock or two. You just might find your tale taking off in an unexpected, but better direction!
Another thought is that when we, as writers, encounter those line drives that knock the stuffing out of us, take it and use it. Take the terrible, the sad, the gut-wrenching and the ridiculous and use it in some form in your writing. Not only does it sometimes actually help (a good catharsis is good for the soul anyway,) but just maybe your character will come up with a brilliant idea that will help you!
You are doing the writing, you say? And you think up what your characters do? Sure, we like to think we are in charge, but sometimes a character will have their own ideas and we, being merely the ones to put action to paper as we transcribe their actions, are simply along for the ride. Giving a character their head (and some free rein) sometimes leads to an interesting journey!
Personally, I subscribe to two trains of thought.
1. Everything happens for a reason. I may not know, or understand the why at the time, or the timing of what-ever-it-is that has currently thrown my life out of kilter, but eventually I will or at worst, come to an understanding of why.
2. What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger. I figure by now I'm pretty darned strong. Divorces, abuse, cancer, unemployment, almost losing the house, and death of family members are just a few things. I'm still here. I'm still kicking. I've been mighty low a time or three (dozen,) but since the sun will continue to rise with me or without me, I figure I might as well do my best to enjoy it. Sure beats the alternative!
So give your characters some grief to deal with. Why should they have all the fun. They get the guy (or girl,) live in amazing places and do extraordinary things. Let them deal with foreclosure, losing a beloved aunt, discovering termites and having a flat tire. Let them have temper tantrums and hangovers, and broken nails and broken hearts. Let their jeans be too tight to zip and have their favorite shoes chewed to smithereens by the dog. Let their pots boil over while they burn dinner to charcoal and the washer overflows. In other words, let them live and breathe and be real! After all, isn't the best compliment we get, the, "It seemed so real!" variation that makes us smile? Some times, that smile will get us through another day!
And that just might be a home run!
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My newsletter about raindrops got a bunch of responses. I received lots of emails with stories of how this person or that was a raindrop to them. I'm thinking it was very cool! I will be setting up The Raindrop Society in the near future!!!
Shannon  writes:Oh, I LOVE this NL, fyn! The whole raindrop idea is beautiful and so true! Thank you for sharing the link to the story. I'm off to read it right now. (((hugs)))
Thanks! Hopefully, you enjoyed it!
Brooklyn  says: What an awsome NL Fyn. I've often wondered about your raindrop fascination but never asked. I absolutely loved the explanation and the piece that inspired it. Your comment on reviews was spot on We might not agree with a premise in a piece, but we can comment intelligently on whether or not it was written well. - Perfect! Great NL, thank you for sharing your thoughts. 
Lots of people wondered about it I guess. Who knew! *grin*
Mark  funnys :Awww, man! Can't I just call you a drip? (thanks Fyn)
Gee. . .thanks, I think. Just don't call me late to dinner!
atwhatcost wrote in to say: In response to your sentence - "Consider how the words in a review might crush someone if meant solely to insult or vilify."
How about writing that is written solely to insult or vilify? 88 of my 90 reviews have been written while trying to remain neutral on the piece itself, if I disagreed. Two were not. Those two were written because the writers insulted, vilified, and assumed everyone else in the writing world would agree. Strange thing - they got angry with me for daring to disagree, and yet, even in the disagreeing, I gave evidence why I did so, and never insulted or vilified them. I simply explained why the peice didn't work for me.
We've agreed to review respectfully. Even in those two reviews I was respectful. Any chance that can be reversed and people can understand the same thing as writers? I don't choose to allow people to insult me in their writing, particularly since they have no idea anyone could disagree.
Sometimes raindrops colliding can be painful. 
splashing raindrops can be painful or just make a splash. I agree that some writing does seems to imply the whole world thinks a certain way. We, however, know better. I might disagree with someone's thesis, but I'll defend to the death their right to write it. If I find something to be distasteful or against my philosophy, I tend to exercise my thumb and my right to click away. Unless someone specifically requests a review on a difficult subject, I usually will tend not to review it, because some folks (and I stress some) will take any constructive critiquing and make it into something else. Just simpler to go read something else.
~A.J. Lyle~ enthused: A truly inspirational newsletter. Thanks, Fyn, it was just what I needed today.
So glad you enjoyed!
Winnie Kay  said: Ahh - I wondered about the raindrops on your case, too. Now I know. I read Dr.Smith's The Magic of Moses some time ago and the commingling of drops on the pane stuck with me as well. I like the idea of a "Raindrop Society."
Stay tuned for TRS! Sure was an excellent read!
NickiD89  wrote: We are all raindrops on the window pane of life -- What an inspirational way to look at ourselves and how we fit into the world around us. Thank for sharing this, and DRSmith  's work, with us!
My pleasure!
Christina~Thanks StoryMaster says: What a wonderful thought there, Fyn! Raindrops, ah!! Absolutely amazing... You have blessed me with such a beautiful idea... that it has made my day, somehow, I don't know how.
Glad it had a positive effect!
patriceo comments: Hi Fyn! I like the idea of raindrops. I think that every idea on WDC creates a splash with ripples that culminate in our coexistence with each other as each of us participates. You have inspired me to do everything I can to participate
in this ripple effect. Write On.
Yes!! WDC is an inspiration to us all!!!
troubador  adds: Love the idea that we are all raindrops. Or, in wintertime, individual snow flakes. Yes, all of us have our individual beauty and how we interact is ever so important.
absolutely!
decora compliments: I enjoy your newsletter very much, thank-you for
your efforts for making it always useful and interesting.
Thank YOU! I try!
Red Writing Hood <3  drops in to say:Thank you for sharing! I'll join the Raindrop Society
LOVE that you've been wearing raindrops ever since!! How cool is that? Awesome! When I see your case, it makes my day! |
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For Authors: September 08, 2010 Issue [#3954]
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